Prosocial television : using programmes to promote charitable causes

Abstract

The literature on prosocial television consists of studies from various disciplines but mainly falls within the area of persuasion in social psychology. In Malta, Xarabank is an established Maltese television programme and well known for producing programmes which create awareness about social problems as well as instigate prosocial behaviour such as donating funds to help vulnerable people. Annually, Xarabank collects one and a half million in funds for various non-government organizations (NGO’s). Behind every successful programme, Xarabank uses various persuasion tactics. These influential tactics persuade the viewers’ to make a donation, be it a financial one or in another form. This dissertation will analyze the various persuasive techniques that the production team uses to persuade viewers by interviewing four persons from the production team of Xarabank. The data collected was analysed using thematic analysis. The three major themes which emerged were: the programme’s production, the participation of the audience and the techniques used.