Media Coverage of Environmental Pollution and the Investment of Polluting Companies
Chang, Y., He, Y., Jin, X., Li, T., & Shih, C. M. (2020). Media coverage of environmental pollution and the investment of polluting companies*. Asia‐Pacific Journal of Financial Studies, 49(5).
37 Pages Posted: 30 Aug 2021
Date Written: October 19, 2020
Abstract
This study examines the effect of local media coverage of environmental pollution on corporate investment based on a textual analysis of China’s provincial newspapers. Using a sample of publicly listed firms in polluting industries, we document a significantly positive effect of media coverage on both the total investment and green investment of these firms. Further analyses reveal that the positive effect of pollution-related media coverage on investment is more pronounced when firms have weak governance mechanisms. Overall, our findings imply that media not only plays an important monitoring role but also enhances corporate social responsibility.
Keywords: Media coverage, Investment, Environmental pollution, Corporate governance, Textual analysis
JEL Classification: G31, G38, M14
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation