TUPD-2026-014
| TITLE |
Thou shalt not fear:
Crime drama and safety concerns
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| AUTHORS |
Dariia Mykhailyshyna
Kyiv School of Economics David Zuchowski
University of Valencia
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| P D F |
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| ABSTRACT |
Does prosocial television reduce safety concerns? Using daily municipal-level data before and after broadcasts of the Polish crime drama Ojciec Mateusz (Father Matthew), we exploit distance from Sandomierz, the town where the show is set, as a source of variation in the psychological salience of the broadcast. Reported safety concerns decline near Sandomierz the day after a broadcast, with the effect fading with distance. The effect is driven by low-violence episodes and police-substantiated reports, consistent with the show’s prosocial content improving actual safety. .(JEL Classification:K42, L82) |
| KEYWORDS |
Media, Prosocial Television, Safety Concerns
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| POSTED | OCT 2026 |