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Media coverage and corporate risk-taking: International evidence

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  • Gao, Xin
  • Xu, Weidong
  • Li, Donghui

Abstract

Employing a large sample of 13,449 firms across 40 countries, we find that firms with high media coverage tend to take risky investments. We further show that this positive relation is achieved through three plausible channels, namely, the information asymmetry channel, the capital-at-risk channel, and the business strategy channel, and is enhanced in countries with strong shareholder protection and transparent information environments. Multinational analyses show that news coverage has a larger positive impact on firms with higher levels of international diversification. Domestic media and domestic institutional investors are found to enhance the positive role of media. Our main conclusions remain valid after carefully taking endogeneity issues into account and conducting various robustness tests. This study sheds new light on the real effects of media in mitigating risk-related agency conflicts.

Suggested Citation

  • Gao, Xin & Xu, Weidong & Li, Donghui, 2022. "Media coverage and corporate risk-taking: International evidence," Journal of Multinational Financial Management, Elsevier, vol. 65(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:mulfin:v:65:y:2022:i:c:s1042444x22000093
    DOI: 10.1016/j.mulfin.2022.100738
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    JEL classification:

    • G32 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Financing Policy; Financial Risk and Risk Management; Capital and Ownership Structure; Value of Firms; Goodwill
    • G34 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - Mergers; Acquisitions; Restructuring; Corporate Governance

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