Author (Your Name)

Jessica H. Minty, Colby College

Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Honors Thesis (Open Access)

Department

Colby College. Economics Dept.

Advisor(s)

Philip H. Brown

Second Advisor

Thomas H. Tietenberg

Abstract

This paper analyzes the effect of media coverage on donations made to relief agencies. Specifically, this empirical analysis examines the effect of the daily volume of domestic newspaper and television coverage devoted to the December 26, 2004 tsunami on daily web donations to U.S. relief agencies. Media coverage, as measured by daily newspaper word and picture counts and by daily total television minutes positively affects the amount of donations relief agencies receive. In addition, media coverage is found to have a greater effect on donations for some agencies than for others.

Keywords

Disaster relief -- Public relations, Television broadcasting of news, Disasters -- Press coverage, Humanitarian assistance, Mass media

Included in

Economics Commons

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