When Grapevine News Meets Mass Media

Abstract

This article examines factors that shape people’s perceptions of government corruption in mainland China. We are particularly interested in how people acquire information on local corruption, given the general lack of pertinent firsthand experience. We combine data from a national survey in mainland China with a compiled data set on the number of local corruption cases reported in Chinese local newspapers. The results of both probit and Heckman selection models show that indirect formal and indirect informal information sources have diverging effects. Although coverage of corruption by newspapers controlled by the authoritarian regime reduces people’s perceptions of corruption, exposure to grapevine news significantly increases perceived corruption. Moreover, access to government-controlled media can significantly dilute the negative impact of grapevine news on popular perceptions of corruption.