Media coverage of political scandals

Abstract

This chapter presents the scandals as a product of the social construction of meaning. Scandals are dynamic as competing actors attempt to control narratives and seek to hide or reveal the transgressions. In liberal democracies, journalists and opposing partisans play a central role in bringing scandals to public attention. Scandals are more likely to come to light in a highly polarized, partisan era when strong opponents seek to tear down one another. Political scandals are easily identified as newsworthy and also play into polarized politics by giving partisans a means to attack their opponents. Media critics are wary of scandal stories precisely because they are so appealing to the audience. The divergence of scholarly views about media coverage of scandals can be partly explained by the types of scandals studied. The audience may perceive that the scandals have equal weight if and when journalists report them in tandem, implying equivalence, and fail to cover other important topics.

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