媒體報導與盈餘品質

Media Coverage and Earnings Quality

本文探討媒體報導對盈餘品質的影響。媒體報導可以扮演監督的力量進而限制管理當局投機性財務報導的行為；但媒體報導也可能使管理當局面對來自市場追求短期績效的壓力，進而產生投機性報導的誘因。研究結果發現媒體報導會使管理當局增加正向的應計數盈餘管理，而媒體報導也會降低盈餘持續性，而這樣的關係在管理當局面對較明確資本市場壓力時更為明顯。研究結果顯示媒體報導可能會增加管理當局追求短期績效的壓力，且因其無法掌控媒體報導的時程，會傾向透過應計數操縱的方式達成盈餘目標並導致盈餘品質的降低。

This study investigates the effect of media coverage on earnings quality. Media coverage can serve as an external monitoring mechanism that constrains managers’opportunistic financial reporting behaviors. However, media coverage can also expose managers to short-term performance pressures from capital markets, thereby increasing their incentives to engage in opportunistic reporting. The study finds that greater media coverage is associated with higher levels of income-increasing accrual-based earnings management and lower earnings persistence. Moreover, his association is more pronounced when managers face stronger pressure from capital markets. Overall, the results suggest that media coverage can intensify management’s pressure to pursue short-term performance. Because managers cannot control the timing or tone of media reports, they may resort to accrual manipulation to meet earnings targets, thus impairing earnings quality.