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Title:  Media Coverage and Judicial Outcomes of Sex Crimes in India 

Abstract: Does media coverage of sexual crimes affect judicial decision-making? I answer this question using rich administrative data on the universe of cases filed in lower courts in India. I combine this court data with high-frequency daily district-level media coverage of sexual crime events that are unrelated to the case on trial. Using a generalized difference-in-difference model, I find that judges are more likely to convict individuals charged with sexual crimes that carry low punishments. I find suggestive evidence that a central mechanism behind this result is heightened judicial scrutiny of these cases in response to greater media coverage. I do not find an impact on the more serious sexual crimes that may involve forensic evidence. These findings highlight the role of media as an extra-legal factor impacting judicial decision-making processes.