How Occupy Wall Street Influenced the Reputation of Banks with the Media

This study reports on two surveys with business journalists to identify the impact the Occupy Wall Street movement had on the reputation of banks. The first survey was conducted before the movement and the second was after. Perceptions after the Occupy Wall Street movement, that the media caused the loss of trust in banks decreased but beliefs that the media were the main barrier in repairing the reputation of the US banking industry increased. While business journalists felt less strongly after the movement, greed remained their main belief of what caused the loss of trust and that transparent communication is needed to repair the reputation of the US banking industry. The Occupy Wall Street movement appears to have also influenced their thoughts on how many banks were involved in the financial crisis, how long it will take to repair it, and the impact of financial reforms.