Mass Media and Press Freedom as Mechanisms for Value Change: Evidence from 19th Century India

Abstract: I analyze regional variation in the prevalence of press freedom and newspapers involved in socio- religious debate in 19th century colonial India, and test empirically whether they have had a persistent effect on values held by current day Indians. I find that press freedom is associated with a higher prevalence of socio-religious newspapers in colonial presidencies. Further, I find that the prevalence of 19th-century newspapers involved in socio-religious debate in colonial presidencies is associated with higher levels of postmaterialist and emancipative values in corresponding current day Indian states. Building on work by Denzau and North (1994), and Coyne and Leeson (2009), I consider a mechanism where mass media allowed reformist Hindus to coordinate socio-religious beliefs and to build shared mental models with an increased emphasis on values aligned with self- expression, individual autonomy and female emancipation. I use an instrumental variable method that exploits regional variation in press regulations throughout the territories of British India that I argue resulted from exogenous variation in personal beliefs of colonial administrators and the emergence of liberal political beliefs in Europe at the time.