Local Media and the Shaping of Social Norms: Evidence from the Ebola outbreak
Media's influence on norms and behavior is widely recognized. Less is known about the role played by media being local. I examine this in a high-stakes context, the Ebola outbreak in Guinea. I exploit quasi-random variation in access to radio and the timing of a public-health campaign aired on community radio. I find that 12-17% of Ebola cases could have been prevented if places with access to a neighboring community radio station instead had their own. Impacts are driven by radio being local rather than by ethno-linguistic belonging. Results suggest that local media facilitates coordination in behaviors observed and sanctioned locally.
econ.GN↗