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The study provides evidence
that mass media can affect
conflict in general and geno-
cide violence against an eth-
nic minority in particular.
In sum, both studies make the point that the strate-
gic determinants of biases of primary information
sources is an avenue that should be seriously re-
searched. The results suggest that the U.S. may
manipulate its reports on foreign countries in order
to justify financially supporting allies, which could
have far-reaching economic consequences.
Propaganda and conflict
In another study that focuses on the Rwandan
genocide, Yanagizawa-Drott takes a different per-
spective while still concentrating on government
distortion and the media. The study on the Rwan-
dan genocide deals with the question on the role of
mass media in time of conflict and state-sponsored
mass violence against civilians.
Elites in control of autocratic states have repeatedly
used mass media – often under their direct control
– with the intention of inducing participation in
and citizen support of violence against certain
groups. Yet it is an open question whether and how
propaganda that explicitly encourages violence
against a certain group can in fact directly induce
violence against that group. In order to address this
question, Yanagizawa-Drott investigates the role of
mass media in the spread of violence during the
1994 Rwandan genocide by estimating the effects
of propaganda disseminated via radio. The radio
was the dominant medium for the government to
deliver messages to the population.
The results show that the broadcasts led to more
violence during the genocide. Furthermore, Yanagi-
zawa-Drott finds that the broadcasts exhibited
positive spillover effects in militia violence, meaning
that when propaganda triggered violence in one
village, this in turn led to violence spreading to
neighboring villages. Finally, the analysis suggests
that the radio station caused 10% of the total par-
ticipation in the genocide, which corresponds to
approximately 51,000 casualties.
The findings are of significant relevance for the
policy debate regarding restrictions on mass media,
especially in case of state-sponsored mass violence.
The international debate during the Rwandan
genocide is illustrative. The U.S. did not approve of
interrupting radio broadcasts, claiming that it
would impinge on the fundamental human right to
free speech and a free press. However, the results of
Yanagizawa-Drott’s study suggests that many lives
could have been saved if the international commu-
nity had jammed radio signals during the Rwandan
genocide.
Methods of distorting the truth
Professor Yanagizawa-Drott’s research points to a
fundamental problem of our time. Mass media
often referred to as the fourth estate, not without
reason, as it plays a powerful role in democracies. It
reaches an immense audience, and its content can
affect a wide range of outcomes, including political
behavior such as voting. Of course, bending the
truth for political gain is nothing new and the
record of its uses stretches back to ancient times.
However, while the intentions may remain the
same, the communication means have undergone a
massive change. The social media revolution al-
lowed people to exchange information on a much
greater scale than ever before, while publishing
platforms like WordPress allowed anyone to create
a dynamic website with ease. It removed the eco-
nomic barriers for publishing and distributing news
almost completely. With the economic barriers
removed, 2016 proved a much more fertile breeding
ground for fake news than previous years. In light
of Prof. Yanagizawa-Drott’s findings, that should
One of the twomajor Rwandan radio stations, RTLM, provided
the most extreme and inflammatory messages.