Perception Over Presence: The Role of Perceived Media Influence in Scandals

This study examined the role of perceived media influence in individual‐level responses to organizational misconduct. Moving beyond volume‐based accounts of media attention, the study focuses on audience perceptions of media influence and their associations with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses. Experimental results showed that higher social media engagement metrics increased perceived media influence, which was subsequently associated with stronger moral outrage and greater perceived crisis severity. These responses, in turn, were associated with stronger punitive reactions toward the organization, including negative word‐of‐mouth, boycott intentions, and demands for regulatory intervention. The sequential indirect effects through perceived media influence and moral outrage were significant for all three punitive outcomes, whereas the indirect effects through perceived media influence and perceived severity were significant for negative word‐of‐mouth and boycott intentions, but not for demand for regulatory intervention. These findings highlight the importance of perceived media influence in understanding emotional, cognitive, and punitive responses to organizational scandals.