| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Field Trial Status | Before on_going | After completed |
| Field Last Published | Before August 16, 2024 04:51 PM | After June 08, 2026 06:22 PM |
| Field Study Withdrawn | Before | After No |
| Field Intervention Completion Date | Before | After August 16, 2024 |
| Field Data Collection Complete | Before | After Yes |
| Field Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization) | Before | After 753 individuals |
| Field Was attrition correlated with treatment status? | Before | After Yes |
| Field Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations | Before | After 753 individuals |
| Field Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms | Before | After 397 in control group and 356 in treatment group |
| Field Is there a restricted access data set available on request? | Before | After Yes |
| Field Restricted Data Contact | Before | After [email protected] |
| Field Program Files | Before | After No |
| Field Data Collection Completion Date | Before | After September 30, 2024 |
| Field Is data available for public use? | Before | After No |
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Field Paper Abstract | Before | After This study examines how independent political information affects beliefs, attitudes, and political engagement in an autocratic context. In partnership with a media NGO in Kazakhstan, I conduct a field experiment in which individuals are randomly assigned to receive independent political information through a fact-checking service. Exposure to the service leads individuals to revise their beliefs about the country’s limited democratic practices and to view protesters more favourably. Individuals also become less supportive of the regime relative to the opposition and are more likely to agree with the need to reduce information control. At the same time, exposure to independent political information decreases overall willingness to engage in political action. This disengagement effect is concentrated among individuals with lower prior support for democratic norms, whereas those who strongly endorse democratic principles remain engaged and are more likely to donate to support independent media. These findings expose the limits of independent political information in encouraging political participation in autocratic contexts. |
| Field Paper Citation | Before | After O'Brien, Dina. 2026. Independent Media and Political Engagement in an Autocracy: Experimental Evidence from Kazakhstan. Job Market Paper. |
| Field Paper URL | Before | After https://sites.google.com/view/dinaobrien/research |