Work

Identity Under Scrutiny: Media Attention and Rule Compliance

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: How does media coverage of minorities affect their rule compliance? Using data from 800,000 random audits at supermarket self-checkouts in Italy, we show that heightened refugee media coverage reduces under-reporting of items among shoppers born in major refugee-source countries, but not other migrants or natives. The effect is concentrated in the seven days following media exposure and is strongest when refugee coverage is negative and highlights criminality. Results are not driven by changes in customer composition or perceived audit risk. Instead, our findings suggest that public scrutiny prompts minorities to counter negative stereotypes by increasing their compliance.

Source: The Review of Economics and Statistics

DOI: 10.1162/rest.a.1710

Authors: Sulin Sardoschau, Giorgio Gulino, Federico Masera

Institutions: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Rockwool Foundation Berlin, University of Rome Tor Vergata, UNSW Sydney

Language: English

Topic: Migration, Refugees, and Integration

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

OpenAlex ID: W7127635446

FWCI:

Cites: 39

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