The Political Impact of Prime-Time Television: "The Day After"

Abstract
The attitudinal effects of the television docudrama "The Day After," which depicted the aftermath of a Soviet nuclear attack on the Kansas City area, are analyzed through data from a panel conducted immediately before and after the program was shown. The effects of the program's byproducts (associated coverage and discussion) outweighed the effects of the program itself. The program seems to have had its greatest direct impact on the salience of and information about nuclear war rather than on attitudes as such.