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Replication data for: Defending the watchdogs: How citizens and courts protect the press

Harvard Dataverse (Africa Rice Center, Bioversity International, CCAFS, CIAT, IFPRI, IRRI and WorldFish)

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Title Replication data for: Defending the watchdogs: How citizens and courts protect the press
 
Identifier https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/DRFGZY
 
Creator Solis, Jonathan A.
Zvobgo, Kelebogile
 
Publisher Harvard Dataverse
 
Description A free and independent press monitors government actions, broadcasts public grievances, and facilitates debate and dissent among citizens. Because of this, some executives run interference—censoring newspapers, harassing journalists, and shutting down media outlets—whereas other executives do not. What explains this variation? We argue that executives decide to repress or to respect the press based on the sanctions they anticipate from two important constituencies: courts and citizens. We expect that attacks are less likely when courts can make adverse rulings and when citizens can vote leaders out of office. In addition, we suggest that these constraints can function as substitutes; we anticipate the reductive effect of judicial independence wanes as the level of electoral democracy rises, making courts vital to protecting journalists in less democratic systems. We evaluate these expectations using panel data on executive branch attacks on the press in 175 countries, from 1949 to 2016, and find strong support.
 
Subject Social Sciences
 
Date 2023-09-18
 
Contributor Solis, Jonathan A.