Examples of existing evidence of role of specific media on outcomes

1. Examples of existing evidence of role of specific media on outcomes • Chong and La Ferrara (2009) – TV and divorce in Brazil • Variation across municipal areas in when signal for Rede Globo was introduced • Argue that themes in telenovelas -> female empowerment -> divorce. • In related work also find lower fertility • Paluck (2008) estimates the effects on beliefs and norms of a radio soap opera featuring messages of intergroup tolerance in Rwanda. • Randomized field experiment • Divided people into groups, and played them soap opera or health program in groups • Program nationally available. • Finds program didn’t change personal beliefs, but did change perceptions of social norms. • Dahl and DellaVigna (2008) focus on the effects of movie violence on crime in the US. • Look at short-run (same day) crime after release of violent movies • Identification relies on variation over time in violence in movies • Find that more violent movies reduce crime, claim it is through violent individuals watching movies instead of committing crimes…

2. Lessons for thinking about financial literacy • Increasing number of examples of social media etc. being used to give financial literacy messages. • But how do we know any of it works? • Important to plan evaluations when launching these new efforts E.g. 1: Spanish language radio program could be piloted in some randomly selected hispanic areas in the U.S. and not others.

3. Lessons • E.g2: Financial literacy in a soap opera • Could think about “encouragement design” – randomly choose some group of people to encourage to watch this (perhaps provide showings, etc.) • Can think of ways that participants not clear what purpose of study is: • E.g. Paluck’s wording to participants – study has purpose “to understand Rwandans’ opinions about radio programs produced by a certain organization”