A Closer Look at Reporting Bias in Conflict Event Data
Open accessAbstract
Recent data collections about political violence are frequently based on media reports, which can lead to reporting bias. This is an issue in particular for the emergent literature on communication technology and conflict, since this technology may not only affect violence, but also the reporting about it. Using the effect of cellphones on violence as an example, this article presents a quantitative assessment of reporting bias in a micro‐level analysis. Comparing media‐based event reports and those from military sources, the results show that the purported violence‐increasing effect of cellphone coverage is partly due to higher reporting rates of violence in cellphone‐covered areas. A simple diagnostic procedure for this problem is implemented. Applied to the analysis of cellphones and violence in Africa, it produces a pattern that is consistent with reporting bias driving much of the effect found in the Pierskalla and Hollenbach (2013) study about this topic.
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Corporate actions may be compelled through state ownership structures, domestic laws, or orders to private telecom companies to restrict specific topics or cut access to citizens.
“Corporate actions may also be compelled, whether through state ownership structures, domestic laws, or orders to private telecom companies, to restrict specific topics or cut access to citizens (2, 3, 130, 131).”
From Physical and virtual repertoires of contention (2022) · cites this paper as [131]
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Introducing ACLED: An armed conflict location and event dataset
Raleigh, C., Linke, A., Hegre, H., & Karlsen, J. (2010) · Journal of Peace Research · doi:10.1177/0022343310378914 · Cited by 1,747 · see citing works
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Earl, J. (2022) · Science Advances · doi:10.1126/sciadv.abl8198 · Cited by 250 · see citing works
Repression Technology: Internet Accessibility and State Violence
Gohdes, A. R. (2020) · American Journal of Political Science · doi:10.1111/ajps.12509 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
Come rain, or come wells: How access to groundwater affects communal violence
Döring, S. (2020) · Political Geography · doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2019.102073 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Repression in the Digital Age: Surveillance, Censorship, and the Dynamics of State Violence
Gohdes, A. R. (2024) · Oxford University Press · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197743577.001.0001 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
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Blair, R. A., & Sambanis, N. (2020) · Journal of Conflict Resolution · doi:10.1177/0022002720918923 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Kikuta, K., & Uesugi, M. (2023) · International Organization · doi:10.1017/s0020818322000261 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
Nationwide shutdowns and government offensives
Gohdes, A. R. (2024) · Repression in the Digital Age · doi:10.1093/oso/9780197743577.003.0005
- Authors
- Weidmann, N. B.
- Affiliations
- University of Konstanz (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Weidmann, Nils B.
- ORCID
- Weidmann, Nils B.
- Venue
- American Journal of Political Science
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2015-07-14
- Volume
- 60
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 206-218
- ISSN
- 0092-5853 (ISSN-L)
- 1540-5907
- OpenAlex
- W1928361905
- Cited by
- 294
- References
- 2
- Citations by year
- 2026: 30 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 46 · 2022: 33 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 48 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 25 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 54.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- nbn-resolving.de
- Locations
- American Journal of Political Science (publishedVersion)
- KOPS (University of Konstanz) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Political Conflict and Governance
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Terrorism, Counterterrorism, and Political Violence
- Social Sciences › Communication › Media Studies and Communication
- Keywords
- reporting bias, political violence, media coverage, mobile devices, micro-level analysis, African conflicts
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