Media Scrutiny Research Articles

Media Coverage of Treasury Single Account Introduced by Abia State Government and Its Effect on Abia State University, Nigeria

This research brief focuses on the analysis of the media coverage of the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) by the Abia State Government and its impact on the Abia State University in terms of autonomy, salaries, research and academic activities. The implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has been the subject of intense media scrutiny, with attention focused on its implications for the autonomy of Abia State University. This study examines how the centralization of financial resources through the Treasury Single Account (TSA) framework can affect university decision-making processes, academic freedom and general governance autonomy. In addition, the research examines the effects of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) on the timely payment of salaries to university staff. By analyzing media reports and conducting interviews with stakeholders, the study aims to assess whether the implementation of the TSA has had an impact on the payment of wages, financial stability and employee morale in the university Furthermore, the study explores how the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA) has affected research activities in Abia State University. By examining media stories and academic publications, the research seeks to understand whether changes in financial management practices have affected the university's research output, funding opportunities and collaborative initiatives. Finally, the impact of Treasury Single Account (TSA) on academic activities in Abia State University is a major focus of this research. Through content analysis of media coverage and interviews with teachers and students, the study aims to assess whether financial reforms have improved or hindered the quality of teaching, learning experiences and the academic programs in the university. By examining the media coverage of the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA) and its effects on autonomy, salaries, research and academic activity in Abia State University, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the implications of financial reforms in higher education institutions and provide policy makers with information. university administrators and stakeholders in the education sector.

Against the depoliticisation of Palestinian female shahids

Palestinian women’s engagement with politics and their appropriation of conventionally masculine acts of martyrdom during the Second Intifada (2002–2005) have been subject to intense public debate, media scrutiny and contested cultural representations. This article, drawing on studies of terrorism as well as translation theory, examines first-hand accounts of acts of martyrdom by Palestinian women, which uphold Palestinian national and religious discourses of sacrifice. Failing to grapple with how and why Palestinians recognise these women’s acts as martyrdom, many Euro-American and Israeli scholars focus on personal, social and psychological motivations. While many Euro-American and Israeli scholars construct Palestinian female martyrs as socially deviant, we develop a different framework to understand female martyrdom on more local terms that resonate with Palestinians’ lived experience. We introduce five Palestinian female martyrs’ video testimonies that scholarship to date has overlooked. We contend that Palestinian female martyrs (shahids) are conscious agents whose final acts underscore their adherence to religious and national discourses of sacrifice.

Challenges Encountered by Police Officers During Crime Investigations

This study highlights the vital function of police officers involved in criminal investigations in maintaining the integrity of Indian society through effective law enforcement and fair justice. However, it identifies several obstacles that impede their efficiency, including heavy workloads, lack of adequate resources, shortage of officers, external pressures, and technological limitations, particularly when addressing serious crimes, cybercrimes, and offences involving cryptocurrency. These issues contribute to decreased morale among officers who investigate crimes and increase public distrust, especially amidst growing media scrutiny. Furthermore, the psychological strain of handling complex cases worsens these challenges. The study calls for comprehensive reforms to alleviate workloads, enhance the number of investigative officers, increase the sanctioned strength of police officers, improve resource allocation, integrate technology into investigations, and create a more efficient and culturally sensitive police system. Implementing these reforms is essential for strengthening investigative capabilities, adapting to the changing criminal landscape of the 21st century, and ensuring law enforcement's dedication to safeguarding the integrity of Indian society.

Effect of Mental Health on Level of Injury and Life Satisfaction among Young Elite Athletes-A Barrier or Augment: An Observational Study

Introduction: Sports injuries can have long-term psychological and physical ramifications. For instance, concussions can affect a person's quality of life by causing a variety of cognitive problems and emotional swings. Joint injuries can also make athletes more susceptible to musculoskeletal issues in the future, which could limit their capacity to exercise and lower their level of enjoyment and general well-being. Gaining a thorough grasp of the mental health and psychological well-being unique to top athletes may help to improve models of treatment and management for this group, which might ultimately lead to improved performance, lower risk of injuries and improve quality of life. Sport professionals, such as coaches, medical personnel, and sport psychologists, need to have this understanding in order to help elite athletes improve their mental wellness by helping them build coping mechanisms. Methods: The study was performed in NIMS University, in 2024. The survey contained information about the purpose and objectives of the study, informed consent, sociodemographic questions, questions related to mental health, life satisfaction and level of injury questionnaires concerning various aspects of well-being (stress level, depression, anxiety, satisfaction, and physical health, level of physical, mental and social functioning). Result: In this study, a total of 258 participants were included in the analysis. The average age of the participants was 19.5 years, with 52.7% of the sample being women and 47.3% men. Conclusion: A distinct set of pressures that elite athletes face might make them more susceptible to mental illness. Important elements include coping with continuous performance pressure from competition, the psychological effects of injuries, life satisfaction, overtraining, and burnout, and intensive public and media scrutiny.

Green fund investors and ESG performance: Evidence from China

Using the ESG scores from the Bloomberg Database and the manually filtered green fund investor data, we study the influence of green fund investors on the Chinese A-shares' ESG performance. As we have found, the holding of fund investors who pay attention to sustainable development can improve the firm's ESG performance, and this improvement is more pronounced in state-owned enterprises, heavily polluting industries, and after the green policy announcement. Our findings are robust after considering the reverse causality endogeneity concern and sample selection bias. In addition, the holdings of green fund investors favor the company's status as a green index constituent and its long-term financial performance. Further, the mechanism test reveals the influencing channel of this improvement and supports that it is long-term green fund investors themselves improving the firms' ESG performance and can improve a firm's ESG performance by attracting other long-term investors and new mutual fund investors, and increasing the level of media scrutiny pressure. Our paper contributes to figuring out the impact of institutional holding on ESG development and further points out the source of this influence.

Impact of media attention on corporate green innovation: What is the role of dual environmental regulation?

This study explores the intricate interplay between media attention, dual environmental regulation, and corporate green innovation quality using a comprehensive dataset of Chinese A-share listed companies. Thus, our rigorous empirical analysis reveals that media visibility significantly affects corporate environmental sustainability efforts, with formal and informal environmental regulations moderating its impact. Media attention acts as a powerful catalyst for green innovation during growth and mature stages of a company's lifecycle; however, its effect diminishes during recessions. We determine significant heterogeneity across industry types and ownership structures. Non-high-polluting industries and non-state-owned enterprises show stronger positive responses to media scrutiny in their green innovation efforts than high-polluting sectors and state-owned enterprises. Furthermore, formal environmental regulations amplify the positive effect of media attention on green innovation, suggesting a synergistic potential that encourages companies to exceed baseline environmental standards. In contrast, while having no direct impact on green innovation, informal environmental regulation significantly moderates the relationship between media attention and innovation quality. These findings add to the literature on environmental innovation by demonstrating the conditional effectiveness of media attention and the critical role of regulatory frameworks in fostering sustainable corporate practices across industries and ownership contexts, with implications for policymakers, corporate strategists, and environmental advocates.

Changes in Australians' attitudes towards supervised injecting facilities.

Supervised injecting facilities (SIF) have been shown to reduce negative outcomes experienced by people who inject drugs. They are often subject to intense public and media scrutiny. This article aimed to explore population attitudes to SIFs and how these changed over time in Australia. Data were drawn from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey, a national sample collecting data on illicit drug use and attitudes towards drug policy among Australians (2001-2019). Ordinal logistic regression assessed sociodemographic characteristics associated with different attitudes to SIFs and binary logistic regression assessed trends over time and by jurisdiction. In 2019, 54% of respondents (95% CI 52.9, 55.1) supported SIFs, 27.5% (95% CI 26.6, 28.4) opposed and 18.4% (95% CI 17.7, 19.2) were ambivalent. Support for SIFs correlated with having a university degree (OR 1.75; 95% CI 1.58, 1.94), non-heterosexual identity (OR 1.81, 95% CI 1.51, 2.17) and recent illicit drug use (OR = 1.74, 95% CI 1.55, 1.94). Male respondents or those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas had lower odds of supporting SIFs (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.85, 1.00; OR 0.64-0.80, respectively). Between 2001 and 2019, support for SIFs increased modestly by 3.3%, those who 'don't know' by 7.4%, whereas opposition decreased by 11.7%. Between 2001 and 2019, support for SIFs increased in NSW and Queensland, whereas opposition decreased in all jurisdictions. Opposition to SIFs declined over the past 20 years, but a substantial proportion of respondents are ambivalent or 'don't know enough to say'. Plain language information about SIFs and their potential benefits, targeted to those who are ambivalent/'don't know' may further increase public support.

Making public or quiet listening? Media logics and public inquiries into the abuse of children

This article examines the tensions between ‘publicness’ and ‘privacy’ in national commissions of inquiry. Through the insights of those who worked deep inside Australia's landmark Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse (RCIRCSA, 2013–2017), and the evidence provided in its final report, we explore the organisational and media logics of the Commission's highly publicised public hearings, and the ‘quiet’ institutional listening practices of its private sessions and engagement with marginalised communities. Royal Commissions are an important mechanism for raising awareness of past crimes on the public agenda. Our research finds that while the revelatory outcomes of the RCIRCSA have been well documented, its private sessions, engagement and research are less well understood. We argue ‘publicness’ is a relatively unchallenged good that is enacted through news media and the royal commission process, but media logics can limit their capacity to address the ongoing causes and impacts of child sexual abuse against the most impacted children. Participants reflected on the media logics that drove strategic decisions to ‘make public’ some cases and institutions, while others remained in the Commission's private realm. The article concludes that the confidential sharing of evidence has been undervalued in inquiry media studies that often centre the journalists’ role in uncovering and publicly revealing previously unheard stories. Drawing on international comparisons we find that while quiet listening risks negating the opportunity to amplify experience, it may also counter the potential silencing effects of unwanted public media scrutiny and protect potential witnesses from further harm.

Equilibrium communication in political scandals

We present a formal model in which elite communication and voters’ beliefs during a political scandal emerge as a communication equilibrium, determined by the severity of the accusations and the degree of media scrutiny. The prediction of our model is that incumbents’ use of denials can garner support even when they face the possibility of evidence showing their guilt. In contrast, public apologies increase approval – compared to denial – only when accusations are not very serious and are likely to be proved. Results from a large survey experiment corroborate these predictions. In order to explore how changes in the information environment shapes the communication equilibrium, we estimate the structural parameters of our model and conduct counterfactual simulations. We find that increasing media scrutiny leads to asymmetric effects on incumbent communication with politicians who are the best at covering up evidence actually benefiting from increased scrutiny.

The influence of media scrutiny on firms' strategic eschewal of lobbying

AbstractResearch SummaryLobbying allows firms to influence the government to potentially limit firms' costs during product recall crises. However, such lobbying can elicit scrutiny from the media if the lobbying gives the impression that firms wish to save costs at the expense of safety, thereby appearing hypocritical. We theorize that when faced with negative media coverage of product recalls or recall‐related lobbying, firms strategically eschew lobbying to limit further media scrutiny and its associated negative consequences. We test our hypotheses using the US auto industry's lobbying from 2008 to 2022. We provide further depth to our examination of strategic eschewal through 15 supplemental interviews of lobbyists about how the media influences firms' lobbying decisions.Managerial SummaryCompanies may resort to lobbying in efforts to reduce costs related to product recall crises, but such controversial lobbying may also tarnish their image. When confronted with negative media coverage of product recalls, or recall‐related lobbying, companies are more likely to strategically refrain from lobbying to minimize additional, unwanted media spotlight and its associated negative repercussions. Managers should be mindful that even if lobbying may help limit the costs of recalls, it could also cause potential reputational harm. Thus, it is vitally important that managers pay attention to the reputational cues from the media, which can help them determine when lobbying may be problematic and allow them to preemptively refrain from such lobbying.

Frontline Professionals in the Wake of Social Media Scrutiny: Examining the Processes of Obscured Accountability

Professional accountability is considered important to the legitimacy and survival of a profession. Prior research has examined the role of top-down scrutiny by audiences, such as supervisors, regulators, and certification agencies, in improving professional accountability. But the advent of social media platforms has increasingly enabled the bottom-up scrutiny of professionals—especially professionals on the front line—by audiences such as customers and the public. In this research, I examine how and when bottom-up scrutiny through social media (hereafter, social media scrutiny) impacts the accountability of frontline professionals. Conducting an ethnography of 911 emergency management organizations, I find that social media scrutiny of 911 call-takers—the frontline professionals in this setting—can obscure rather than improve professional accountability. I elaborate on how, why, and under what conditions social media scrutiny pushes frontline professionals to deviate from their mandate, which, in turn, obscures their sense of professional accountability. These processes also generate spillover effects on the everyday work and mandate of downstream professionals (e.g., 911 dispatchers, police officers), producing a cascading set of unintended consequences that further obscures accountability for multiple actors across the professional ecosystem.

Economic vulnerabilities and sustainability in energy utilities: Managing climate change in the face of geopolitical turmoil

This study investigates the implications of climate change on the environmental management strategies adopted by Chinese energy utility companies over the period from 2008 to 2021. The study highlights that an increase in temperatures correlates with a greater likelihood of these firms implementing environmental management strategies. This tendency is particularly pronounced among companies characterized by lower revenue levels, elevated operational costs, increased media scrutiny, or a comparatively weaker commitment to social responsibilities. Additionally, the analysis reveals that improved carbon performance mitigates this effect, whereas state ownership amplifies the observed trends. This research contributes to understanding the dynamic interplay between climate change and corporate environmental strategy within the context of Chinese energy utilities.

Dirty dancing: Gender, aging, and sexuality during Hong Kong’s COVID-19 pandemic

Why did certain COVID-19 infections in Hong Kong attract more media scrutiny than others during the pandemic? We systematically compare media and social media responses to different clusters of infection that emerged during Hong Kong’s COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on Susan Sontag’s (2009) essay, Illness as Metaphor, we argue that the media preoccupation with Hong Kong’s Fourth Wave COVID-19 infections was not so much concerned with the science and epidemiology of the virus, but instead resonated with deeply held anxieties about gender, aging, and sexuality in the city. Specifically, we describe how women who attended ballroom dance studios during this outbreak were targeted by mainstream and social media for transgressing traditional gender roles: abandoning their husbands and purchasing intimacy with younger and less wealthy male dance instructors. We explore the implications of this “gendering” (and its intersections with social class and ageism) for health communication and public policy in the way that it disproportionately attributed blame for the outbreak on the women and denigrated an important recreation in the city.

Crab Harvesting, Sustainability Issues, and International Trade: Insights from Russia

This article aims to analyze Russia’s efforts, both domestically and internationally, to combat illicit crab harvesting and safeguard its marine resources. A comparison of total crab imports and allowable catch in Russian waters from 1990 to 2022 indicates a peak in shadow activities during the mid-2000s, with a cessation of large-scale illegal fishing observed since 2013. A narrative analysis of institutional shifts reveals that the bolstering of internal oversight, heightened accountability for harvesters, and enhanced global cooperation have been pivotal in fostering these positive dynamics. Concerning trends, however, emerged towards the beginning of the current decade, indicating potential instability within the legal framework of the crab industry. Persistent statistical discrepancies in trade with South Korea, diminishing institutional capacities within Russia to combat shadow activities, and heightened media scrutiny of illicit crab harvesting underscore the need for sustained vigilance in addressing both internal and external dimensions of this multifaceted problem.

Unwelcome Migrant Churches—A Case Study of the Portrayal of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in German-Speaking Online Press

This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the portrayal of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God in German-speaking online press. Utilizing qualitative content analysis, this inquiry examines German-speaking media articles published from 1990 to 2021. Using the systematic methodology developed by Kuckartz and Rädiker, media contents are deconstructed into individual codes and categorized into thematic complexes. This approach provides an understanding of how the UCKG is portrayed in German-speaking online press and therefore may affect Brazilian migrants who are affiliated with the UCKG. The findings of this survey reveal a multifaceted picture of the UCKG and its representation in the German-speaking online press. Dominant themes include the church’s rapid global expansion, the centralization of the leader, and various criminal allegations, predominantly financial crimes and corruption. The study uncovers a consistent pattern of critical and often one-sided media portrayal, contrasting with academic perspectives highlighting the church’s adaptation and diversity in its European context. Additionally, the research illuminates how these media narratives potentially influence public perception and policy decisions regarding the UCKG in Germany. The implications of this study are significant for professionals in the field of migration and religion to gain insights into the complexities of working with religious communities, particularly those facing media scrutiny and public misperceptions.

Point shaving? A novel experiment and new insights

In light of the exponential growth in sports betting since 2018, a deeper understanding of the prevalence and nuances of corruption is needed. We demonstrate that in the venues and leagues where the likelihood of game fixing is high (among home teams and in NCAA basketball) point shaving markers are more pronounced, and where it is low (among visiting teams and in NCAA football) such indicators are muted. We explore this suspicious pattern via a natural experiment designed to exploit a positive exogenous shock in media scrutiny. Employing an exceptionally deep and broad dataset we show that corruption markers do not attenuate under social pressure and provide robust evidence that innocuous behaviors explain suspect game and wager outcomes. Our study establishes that a high degree of competitive integrity exists in the NCAA, NBA, and NFL.

Good Guys Became Bad Guys? Changing Representations of Asians and Other Races in Crime News During COVID-19

During COVID-19, Asian Americans were perceived as a threat to the American society, which could have led to heightened media scrutiny and a shift in media portrayals. This study examines this question with a quantitative analysis of crime stories sampled from five newspapers (2019–2021). Our results suggested that large-scale social events such as COVID-19 might have transformed media representations of Asians and other racial groups, with noteworthy variability: (a) When considering all types of crimes, during the pandemic, news about lawbreaking activities by Asian perpetrators almost doubled that of before-COVID period. No significant change was uncovered in the coverage of Asian victims. (b) However, on two types of crimes—“crimes against persons” and “violent crimes”—that have more newsworthiness and social import, stories about Asian victims during the COVID-19 were higher than those of the before-COVID period. (c) When comparing media representations with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data, the percentage of Asian perpetrators and victims in newspapers did not differ from that of the FBI in 2019 and 2020; however, Asians were overrepresented as victims in 2021.

Sexism and misogyny as traits of police culture: Problems, red flags and solutions

The aim of this article is to utilise pre-existing literature to explore the problems of misogyny and sexism currently found to be operating within the police service, and to provide recommendations around reform. This article analyses problems associated with sexism and misogyny at a time of media scrutiny following the Baroness Casey Review of the Metropolitan Police culture, which identifies these concepts as an institutional problem that can impact upon female police officers and women in general. The article begins by highlighting the importance of understanding the differences between sexism and misogyny and then reviews potential strategies towards police reform. These changes include a review of policy and law, use of education, leadership changes, reform to the Police Complaints and Discipline system, male peer support and more-effective whistleblowing processes. The article concludes by establishing that all strategies are worthy of consideration to reform a negative police culture. It also acknowledges that failures to respond to the challenges of dealing with misogyny and sexism effectively, will result in the strengthening of a police culture that continues to damage the police’s reputation and public trust and which will consequently affect all who are victim and witness to this behaviour.

From modesty to market: shareholder reactions to humility rhetoric in family and nonfamily firms under media scrutiny

From modesty to market: shareholder reactions to humility rhetoric in family and nonfamily firms under media scrutiny

Digital Feminist Placemaking: The Case of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” Movement

Throughout Iran and various countries, the recent calls of the “Zan, Zendegi, Azadi” (in Persian), “Jin, Jiyan, Azadi” (in Kurdish), or “Woman, Life, Freedom” (in English) movement call for change to acknowledge the importance of women. While these feminist protests and demonstrations have been met with brutality, systematic oppression, and internet blackouts within Iran, they have captured significant social media attention and coverage outside the country, especially among the Iranian diaspora and various international organizations. This article, grounded in feminist urban theories of the Global South, analyzes the digital feminist placemaking movement in Iran. As the first counter-revolution led by women, the movement utilizes digital art, graffiti, and protest movements to embody women’s solidarity groups and sympathy rallies. Our analysis employs various digital research methods, including social media scrutiny and the study of protest illustrations. Analyzing the digital feminist placemaking in Iran will enable us to compare the commonalities, differences, challenges, and opportunities between the minorities and majorities in the world’s countries. The outcomes of this research can help international organizations such as Amnesty International and the United Nations Agency for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment (UN Women), as well as policymakers, institutions, academics, and NGOs, to highlight the various ways in which broader public participation could be encouraged in the process of digital feminist insurgent placemaking.