Can television have a mitigating effect on xenophobia? To explore this question, we investigate a natural experiment in which individuals in some regions of East Germany could not—due to their geographic location—consume West German television until 1989. By analyzing survey data from the periods before and after German reunification, we provide evidence that individuals who received West German television during the GDR period and were thus more frequently exposed to foreign media have developed less xenophobia. We document that West German television programs positively affected individuals' attitudes towards foreigners and led to a higher likelihood of supporting refugees, for example by donating money to refugee aid. In addition to the survey evidence, we show that regions that could receive West German television before reunification were less likely to vote for extreme right-wing parties during the national elections from 1990 to 2017, and experienced fewer criminal offenses against refugees.

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电视可以减少仇外心理吗？东德的情况

电视可以缓解仇外心理吗？为了探索这个问题，我们调查了一个自然实验，在这个实验中，由于地理位置的原因，东德某些地区的个人在 1989 年之前无法收看西德电视。通过分析德国统一前后时期的调查数据，我们提供有证据表明，在东德时期收看西德电视并因此更频繁地接触外国媒体的人较少出现仇外心理。我们记录了西德电视节目对个人对外国人的态度产生了积极影响，并导致支持难民的可能性更高，例如通过向难民援助捐款。除了调查证据，