IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/joares/v48y2010i1p1-19.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The Role of the Business Press as an Information Intermediary

Author

Listed:
  • BRIAN J. BUSHEE
  • JOHN E. CORE
  • WAYNE GUAY
  • SOPHIA J.W. HAMM

Abstract

This paper investigates whether the business press serves as an information intermediary. The press potentially shapes firms' information environments by packaging and disseminating information, as well as by creating new information through journalism activities. We find that greater press coverage reduces information asymmetry (i.e., lower spreads and greater depth) around earnings announcements, with broad dissemination of information having a bigger impact than the quantity or quality of press‐generated information. These results are robust to controlling for firm‐initiated disclosures, market reactions to the announcement, and other information intermediaries. Our findings suggest that the press helps reduce information problems around earnings announcements.

Suggested Citation

  • Brian J. Bushee & John E. Core & Wayne Guay & Sophia J.W. Hamm, 2010. "The Role of the Business Press as an Information Intermediary," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 48(1), pages 1-19, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:48:y:2010:i:1:p:1-19
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-679X.2009.00357.x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-679X.2009.00357.x
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/j.1475-679X.2009.00357.x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gregory S. Miller, 2006. "The Press as a Watchdog for Accounting Fraud," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(5), pages 1001-1033, December.
    2. Joon Chae, 2005. "Trading Volume, Information Asymmetry, and Timing Information," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 60(1), pages 413-442, February.
    3. Core, John E. & Guay, Wayne & Larcker, David F., 2008. "The power of the pen and executive compensation," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 88(1), pages 1-25, April.
    4. Lee, Charles M C & Mucklow, Belinda & Ready, Mark J, 1993. "Spreads, Depths, and the Impact of Earnings Information: An Intraday Analysis," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 6(2), pages 345-374.
    5. Luigi Zingales, 2000. "In Search of New Foundations," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 55(4), pages 1623-1653, August.
    6. Bushee, Brian J. & Matsumoto, Dawn A. & Miller, Gregory S., 2003. "Open versus closed conference calls: the determinants and effects of broadening access to disclosure," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(1-3), pages 149-180, January.
    7. Walther, BR, 1997. "Investor sophistication and market earnings expectations," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(2), pages 157-179.
    8. Frankel, Richard & Li, Xu, 2004. "Characteristics of a firm's information environment and the information asymmetry between insiders and outsiders," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 229-259, June.
    9. Hasbrouck, Joel, 1991. "The Summary Informativeness of Stock Trades: An Econometric Analysis," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 4(3), pages 571-595.
    10. Yohn, Teri Lombardi, 1998. "Information Asymmetry around Earnings Announcements," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 11(2), pages 165-182, September.
    11. repec:bla:jfinan:v:59:y:2004:i:2:p:537-600 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Diamond, Douglas W & Verrecchia, Robert E, 1991. "Disclosure, Liquidity, and the Cost of Capital," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 46(4), pages 1325-1359, September.
    13. Fama, Eugene F. & French, Kenneth R., 1997. "Industry costs of equity," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 43(2), pages 153-193, February.
    14. Joe, Jennifer R. & Louis, Henock & Robinson, Dahlia, 2009. "Managers’ and Investors’ Responses to Media Exposure of Board Ineffectiveness," Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, Cambridge University Press, vol. 44(3), pages 579-605, June.
    15. Stoll, Hans R. & Schenzler, Christoph, 2006. "Trades outside the quotes: Reporting delay, trading option, or trade size?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 615-653, March.
    16. Brennan, Michael J. & Subrahmanyam, Avanidhar, 1995. "Investment analysis and price formation in securities markets," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 38(3), pages 361-381, July.
    17. Fama, Eugene F & MacBeth, James D, 1973. "Risk, Return, and Equilibrium: Empirical Tests," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 607-636, May-June.
    18. Zingales, Luigi & Dyck, Alexander, 2002. "The Corporate Governance Role of the Media," CEPR Discussion Papers 3630, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yang, Shuai & Wu, Chao, 2021. "Do Chinese managers listen to the media?: Evidence from mergers and acquisitions," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    2. Camelia M. Kuhnen & Alexandra Niessen, 2012. "Public Opinion and Executive Compensation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 58(7), pages 1249-1272, July.
    3. Lili Dai & Jerry T. Parwada & Bohui Zhang, 2015. "The Governance Effect of the Media's News Dissemination Role: Evidence from Insider Trading," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(2), pages 331-366, May.
    4. Tsileponis, Nikolaos & Stathopoulos, Konstantinos & Walker, Martin, 2020. "Do corporate press releases drive media coverage?," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 52(2).
    5. Sadok El Ghoul & Omrane Guedhami & Robert Nash & Ajay Patel, 2019. "New Evidence on the Role of the Media in Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 154(4), pages 1051-1079, February.
    6. Jagjeev Dosanjh, 2017. "Exchange Initiatives and Market Efficiency: Evidence from the Australian Securities Exchange," PhD Thesis, Finance Discipline Group, UTS Business School, University of Technology, Sydney, number 1-2017, January-A.
    7. repec:uts:finphd:34 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Dang, Tung Lam & Dang, Viet Anh & Moshirian, Fariborz & Nguyen, Lily & Zhang, Bohui, 2019. "News media coverage and corporate leverage adjustments," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    9. Lili Dai & Rui Shen & Bohui Zhang, 2021. "Does the media spotlight burn or spur innovation?," Review of Accounting Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 343-390, March.
    10. Wong, Jin Boon & Zhang, Qin, 2022. "Stock market reactions to adverse ESG disclosure via media channels," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 54(1).
    11. Shai Levi & Xiao-Jun Zhang, 2015. "Do Temporary Increases in Information Asymmetry Affect the Cost of Equity?," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(2), pages 354-371, February.
    12. Robert M. Bushman & Christopher D. Williams & Regina Wittenberg‐Moerman, 2017. "The Informational Role of the Media in Private Lending," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(1), pages 115-152, March.
    13. An, Zhe & Chen, Chen & Naiker, Vic & Wang, Jun, 2020. "Does media coverage deter firms from withholding bad news? Evidence from stock price crash risk," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    14. Baloria, Vishal P. & Heese, Jonas, 2018. "The effects of media slant on firm behavior," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(1), pages 184-202.
    15. Siddiqui, Sayla & Shams, Syed, 2023. "Media coverage and patent trolls: A study on US high-tech firms," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Finance, Elsevier, vol. 37(C).
    16. Ming Jia & Li Tong & P. V. Viswanath & Zhe Zhang, 2016. "Word Power: The Impact of Negative Media Coverage on Disciplining Corporate Pollution," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 138(3), pages 437-458, October.
    17. Robert Stoumbos, 2023. "The Growth of Information Asymmetry Between Earnings Announcements and Its Implications for Reporting Frequency," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 69(3), pages 1901-1928, March.
    18. Huang, Jiexiang & Roberts, Helen & Tan, Eric K.M., 2024. "Media uncertainty and risk-taking," International Review of Financial Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    19. Andrew Buskirk, 2012. "Disclosure frequency and information asymmetry," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 38(4), pages 411-440, May.
    20. Ravi, Rahul & Hong, Youna, 2014. "Firm opacity and financial market information asymmetry," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 83-94.
    21. Tung L. Dang & Thi H. H. Huynh & Manh T. Nguyen, 2021. "Media attention and firm value: International evidence," International Review of Finance, International Review of Finance Ltd., vol. 21(3), pages 865-894, September.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:bla:joares:v:48:y:2010:i:1:p:1-19. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0021-8456 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.