The effects of mass media on corruption in South Africa: A MTAR-TEC persepctive

Motlhasedi, Naomi and Phiri, Andrew (2015): The effects of mass media on corruption in South Africa: A MTAR-TEC persepctive.

Abstract

This study becomes the first to examine cointegration and causal effects between mass media and corruption in South Africa for interpolated quarterly data of the corruption perception index and the world press freedom index conducted between the period of 2002 and 2014. The method of empirical investigation is the momentum threshold autoregressive (MTAR) model with a corresponding threshold error correction (TEC) component. Our empirical results reveal a negative long-run cointegration relationship between the two variables with causality running from corruption to the press freedom index. These findings explain why increased mass media has not resulted in a decline in corruption levels and rather suggests that a direct decline in levels of corruption would induce an increase in the freedom of mass media communication.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Corruption; Mass communication; Threshold Co-integration; South Africa.
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C5 - Econometric Modeling; Z - Other Special Topics > Z0 - General

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