Scandals are political controversies involving violations of moral and ethical norms. They often involve politicians’ personal behavior, and the consequences may range from tax evasion to provocative utterances. Whether the scandal is real or conjectured, it triggers discussions about trust in politics and may have direct consequences for the involved politician (Garzia, 2013; Lobo, 2014).
Scanning the literature shows that there are multiple forces at play in scandalization: norm transgressions are often conjectured rather than actual; the impact of these violations depends on the timing and intensity of media coverage; and the effect of scandal knowledge varies depending on the person and the type of violation. In addition, some people’s evaluations of a lead politician may differ as they apportion responsibility for the scandal (Coombs, 2007).
Major scandals have long-term effects on citizens’ satisfaction with democracy, prompting reforms aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in public affairs. However, a significant portion of the political scandals that are reported in news media involve minor and even trivial norm transgressions. This is a concern because the media often reports these events without properly contextualizing them, which undermines their credibility and impacts the public’s perception of the event as a serious scandal. Moreover, partisans often use accusations of corruption as a cudgel in political disputes, contributing to a growing cynicism about democracy and eroding the meaning of the term itself.