Handbook of Media Economics, vol 1B

A second reason has to do with the scope for impact. Exposure to the media often

outlines role models and portrays societies that are particularly different from local behav-

ior. This difference implies that the potential for behavior change is larger. The impact of

telenovelas on fertility is a case in point. Telenovelas are common not just in developing

countries but in the developed world, and they often involve similar plots and role

models. The behavior of such role models, for example with respect to fertility, is, how-

ever, more similar to the typical behavior of the audience in developed countries than in

developing countries. In turn, this implies that, to the extent that there are peer effects

from the role models, these effects will