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The Dynamics of Media Scandalization: At What Point Does a Crisis Escalate into a Scandal?

Not every crisis turns into a scandal – but certain factors significantly increase the risk. When does a problem become a crisis, and when does a crisis escalate into a scandal?

Why Scandals Don’t Just “Happen”

The likelihood of media scandalization is not a matter of chance: internal and external scandal factors provide clear indications of how likely an incident is to attract public attention – and become a stress test for an organization’s reputation.

Often, multiple factors converge: misconduct, delayed responses, and a rapidly escalating dynamic of public outrage in the media and society.

A striking example is the Wirecard scandal. What began as a question mark in a financial statement evolved within a few months into one of Europe’s largest corporate scandals. Internal irregularities, delayed responses, and the interplay of media, regulators, and politics created a dynamic that was almost impossible to control. The case vividly illustrates how internal errors and external amplifying mechanisms interact, turning a crisis into a public affair.

Internal and External Scandal Factors

Communication scholar Hans Mathias Kepplinger has shown that scandals follow specific patterns. They are amplified and intensified by particular mechanisms in reporting and public perception. Effective crisis communication deliberately addresses these factors to mitigate them and guide public perception.

The interaction of these internal and external scandal factors largely determines how the media and the public evaluate a situation – and whether a crisis remains manageable or escalates into a full-blown public scandal:

Internal Scandal Factors

Internal factors are directly related to behavior and decision-making within an organization. They determine whether an incident is perceived as an avoidable mistake or as culpable misconduct.

Blame: Can the problem be portrayed as the result of intentional wrongdoing by individuals or the organization?
Alternatives: Could a different course of action have been taken?
Low motives: Were negative consequences knowingly accepted?
Self-interest: Did the individuals involved disregard rules for personal gain?
Severity of consequences: Did significant, avoidable harm occur?

External Scandal Factors

External factors further amplify the public dynamic. They influence the media, the public, and interest groups, can trigger widespread debate, and give an event symbolic significance: a single case suddenly comes to represent a broader societal issue.

Stakeholder interests: Do other institutions or political actors pick up the issue?
Public outrage: Do the public or interest groups demand tangible consequences?
Momentum: Does the situation spark a broad, cross-media discussion?
NGOs/advocacy groups: Are organizations or associations instrumentalizing the issue for their own purposes?

Implications for Crisis Communication

The more internal and external factors interact, the higher the risk of media escalation—with potentially lasting reputational damage.

These dynamics are particularly strong today because social media amplifies personalization, moralization, and dramatization in real time. This creates an “outrage economy,” in which scandals often fade quickly but some remain memorable over the long term—such as Dieselgate/VW or Wirecard.

Professional crisis management must therefore consider not only the facts of the situation but also the mechanisms that can intensify a crisis.

Strategic crisis communication aims to identify these factors early and actively mitigate them—this is the only way to prevent a problem from crossing the threshold into a full-blown scandal.

Conclusion

Media scandalization follows clear patterns: it does not occur by chance, but arises from the interplay of internal and external factors. Typically, several conditions converge that determine the public dimension of a crisis—such as misconduct, delayed responses, or the dynamics of outrage in the media and on social networks. The stronger these factors, the higher the risk of media escalation.

When these mechanisms are recognized and integrated into crisis communication, risks can be minimized early and organizational reputation protected.

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author

Sinje Patron

Sinje Patron is an expert in crisis communication and crisis prevention, with extensive experience in developing and implementing effective communication strategies. She supports companies and organizations in communicating clearly, confidently, and effectively, even in challenging situations. Her focus lies in crafting precise messages, managing sensitive communication processes, and designing crisis manuals as well as scenario-based crisis management exercises.