We examine the role of FM radio in mitigating violent conflict. We collect original data on radio broadcasts encouraging defections during the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency. This constitutes the first quantitative evaluation of an active counterinsurgency policy that encourages defections through radio messages. Exploiting random topography-driven variation in radio coverage along with panel variation at the grid-cell level, we identify the causal effect of messaging on violence. Broadcasting defection messages increases defections and reduces fatalities, violence against civilians, and clashes with security forces. Income shocks have opposing effects on both the conflict and the effectiveness of messaging.

中文翻译：

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广播范围：通过叛军复员结束内战

我们研究了调频广播在缓解暴力冲突中的作用。我们在无线电广播中收集原始数据，以鼓励在上帝抵抗军（LRA）叛乱期间叛逃。这是对主动反叛政策的首次定量评估，该政策通过无线电消息鼓励叛逃。利用随机地形驱动的无线电覆盖范围变化以及网格单元级别的面板变化，我们确定了消息传递对暴力的因果关系。广播叛逃消息会增加叛逃人数，减少死亡人数，针对平民的暴力以及与安全部队的冲突。收入冲击对消息传递的冲突和有效性产生相反的影响。