Can Narrative Media Build Support for Health Authorities? Evidence from Tanzania

• In Event: Poster Session: Political Communication 1 & Politics, Literature, and the Arts
  In Poster Session: Poster Session: Political Communication 1

Abstract

We present the results of a field experiment to test whether narrative dramas can build trust and support for public health institutions in Tanzania. We randomly assigned 3,600 respondents to a treatment or placebo condition. In the treatment condition, respondents were provided incentives to listen to weekly episodes of a radio drama designed to raise awareness about medical misinformation and model engagement with public health authorities. In the placebo condition, respondents were incentivized to listen to unrelated current events content. We measure changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions immediately and two months after program end.

Authors

• Noela Sadikiel Ringo, Economic and Social Research Foundation (ESRF), Tanzania

• Dylan Groves, Columbia University

• John Marshall, Columbia University