Template-type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0
Author-Name: Conzo, Gianluigi
Author-Email: gianluigi.conzo@unito.it
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics, Social Studies, Applied
Mathematics and Statistics, University of Turin
Author-Workplace-Homepage: https://www.esomas.unito.it/do/docenti.pl/Alias?gianluigi.conzo#tab-profilo
Author-Name: Conzo, Pierluigi
Author-Email: pierluigi.conzo@unito.it
Author-Workplace-Name: Department of Economics and Statistics “Cognetti de Martiis”, University of Turin & Collegio Carlo Alberto, University of Turin
Author-Workplace-Homepage: https://www.didattica-est.unito.it/do/docenti.pl/Alias?pierluigi.conzo#tab-profilo
Title: When War Crowds Out the Pandemic: Health and Political Effects of Media Shifts
Abstract: This paper explores the unintended effects of a sudden media
shift from pandemic health-crisis coverage to the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Using a dynamic Difference-in-Differences, we first examine how increased
media focus on the war impacted contagion across Italian municipalities,
with proximity to U.S. military bases serving as our treatment and proxy
for heightened fear. Our findings reveal a temporary spike in infections,
particularly in areas closer to bases, driven by increased mobility and a
rise in "bunker" Google searches. Secondly, we show that politicians,
especially from right-wing parties, gained electoral advantages in
subsequent unexpected elections by leveraging war-related fears at the
onset of the conflict. Voters in districts near bases responded more to the
emotional tone of war-related messaging than its volume, underscoring
fear's influence on political outcomes. In contrast, left-wing parties
benefited from the war’s media prominence, as their supporters responded
more to issue salience than to emotional tone.
Length: 61
Creation-Date: 2025-06

File-URL: https://www.est.unito.it/do/home.pl/Download?doc=/allegati/wp2025dip/wp_10_2025.pdf
File-Format: Application/PDF
Handle: RePEc:uto:dipeco:202510