Cross-Border Media and Nationalism: Evidence from Serbian Radio in Croatia

A-Tier
Journal: American Economic Journal: Applied Economics
Year: 2014
Volume: 6
Issue: 3
Pages: 103-32

Score contribution per author:

0.804 = (α=2.01 / 5 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

How do nationalistic media affect animosity between ethnic groups? We consider one of Europe's deadliest conflicts since WWII, the Serbo-Croatian conflict. We show that, after a decade of peace, cross-border nationalistic Serbian radio triggers ethnic hatred toward Serbs in Croatia. Mostly attracted by nonpolitical content, many Croats listen to Serbian public radio (intended for Serbs in Serbia) whenever signal is available. As a result, the vote for extreme nationalist parties is higher and ethnically offensive graffiti are more common in Croatian villages with Serbian radio reception. A laboratory experiment confirms that Serbian radio exposure causes anti-Serbian sentiment among Croats.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aejapp:v:6:y:2014:i:3:p:103-32
Journal Field
General
Author Count
5
Added to Database
2026-01-25