Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/320482 
Year of Publication: 
2025
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 17888
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
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 coverage is negative or 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.
Subjects: 
immigration
refugees
identity
crime
media
threat
JEL: 
D74
J15
D83
Z10
D72
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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