@article{00ac4fe0eb3046fbb28e25deb104024e,
title = "Public Service Announcements and Promoting Face Masks During the COVID-19 Pandemic",
abstract = "Wearing face masks to combat the spread of COVID-19 became a politicized and contested practice in the United States, largely due to misinformation and partisan cues from masking opponents. This article examines whether Public Service Announcements (PSAs) can encourage the use of face masks. We designed two PSAs: one describes the benefits of using face masks; the other uses a novel messenger (i.e., a retired US general) to advocate for them. We conducted two studies. First, we aired our PSAs on television and surveyed residents of the media market to determine if they saw the PSA and how they felt about wearing face masks. Second, we conducted a randomized experiment on a diverse national sample. Both studies suggest that exposure to our PSAs increased support for face masks and induced greater compliance with public health advice. These findings have implications for how governments might fight pandemics.",
author = "Steven Greene and Marc Hetherington and Rahsaan Maxwell and Ryan, {Timothy J.}",
note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Joel Davis, Heather Gray, and John Gilliam at WRAL for working with us to produce and air the PSAs. The PSAs would never have been possible without the cooperation and participation of General Hugh Shelton (Ret.). We also thank Abby Cassario for research assistance. Funding for this project came from the generous support of the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory and the Raymond H. Dawson Bicentennial Chair. Replication files are available by consulting Greene et al. Funding Information: The authors thank Joel Davis, Heather Gray, and John Gilliam at WRAL for working with us to produce and air the PSAs. The PSAs would never have been possible without the cooperation and participation of General Hugh Shelton (Ret.). We also thank Abby Cassario for research assistance. Funding for this project came from the generous support of the North Carolina Policy Collaboratory and the Raymond H. Dawson Bicentennial Chair. Replication files are available by consulting Greene et al. . Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the American Political Science Association.",
year = "2022",
month = jan,
day = "10",
doi = "10.1017/S1049096521001086",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "55",
pages = "7--12",
journal = "PS - Political Science and Politics",
issn = "1049-0965",
publisher = "Cambridge University Press",
number = "1",
}