Corporate Annual Reporting: A Mass Communication Perspective

Observing the retention of a broad definition of annual report users in statements and discussion documents of professional accounting bodies, this paper identifies the corporate annual report as a mass communication medium. It accordingly investigates mass communication theories and research with a view to advancing both academic accounting research and professional accounting development of the annual report. This perspec- tive enables a critical evaluation of whether the annual report is designed to serve a wide range of potential group user requirements or whether it may simply reflect report producers’ interests and predilections. The paper moves on to consider what further steps may be taken in investigating private shareholder behaviour and preferences with respect to the annual report. Finally this paper outlines presently available means for improving the communicability of the annual report and then elicits key directions for future research into appropriate design and presentation strategies for corporate annual reports.

[1]  James J. Benjamin,et al.  Differences in Disclosure Needs of Major Users of Financial Statements , 1977 .

[2]  M. Defleur,et al.  Theories of mass communication , 1968 .

[3]  P. Golding.  The mass media , 1974 .

[4]  R. Gunning.  The Technique of Clear Writing. , 1968 .

[5]  Charles R. Wright,et al.  Mass Communication: A Sociological Perspective , 1975 .

[6]  Wales,et al.  The private shareholder and the corporate report : a report to the Research Committee of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales , 1977 .

[7]  Robert W. Scapens,et al.  The Objectives of Published Accounting Reports , 1974 .

[8]  R. Chenhall,et al.  Investor Information Needs—An Australian Study , 1977 .

[9]  W. Kwolek,et al.  A Readability Survey of Technical and Popular Literature , 1973 .

[10]  Leo Bogart,et al.  Mass Media and Community Identity in an Interurban Setting , 1965 .

[11]  Raymond A. Bauer,et al.  The communicator and the audience , 1958 .

[12]  John R. Baseheart,et al.  Credibility of Source and of Self in Attitude Change , 1972 .

[13]  Denis McQuail,et al.  Towards a Sociology of Mass Communications , 1969 .

[14]  George H. Sorter,et al.  Opportunities and Implications of the Report on Objectives of Financial Statements , 1974 .

[15]  E. Shaw,et al.  Media Credibility: Taking The Measure of a Measure , 1973 .

[16]  Jack M. McLeod,et al.  Individual vs. Social Predictors of Information Seeking , 1973 .

[17]  F. Williams,et al.  Ethnic and Social Class Differences in Communication Habits and Attitudes , 1971 .

[18]  James L. Hoyt.  Source-Message Orientation in Interpersonal and Media Influence , 1975 .

[19]  Wilbur Schramm,et al.  Responsibility in mass communication , 1980 .

[20]  T. A. Lee,et al.  The Private Shareholder: his Sources of Financial Information and his Understanding of Reporting Practices , 1976 .

[21]  G. O'keefe,et al.  Opinion Agreement and Accuracy Between Editors and Their Readers , 1972 .

[22]  Influences of Editors, Readers, and Personal Opinions on Reporters , 1971 .

[23]  Verling C. Troldahl.  Studies of Consumption of Mass Media Content , 1965 .

[24]  T. M. Counts.  The Influence of Message and Source on Selection of Statements by Reporters , 1975 .

[25]  D. Chaney.  Processes of mass communication , 1972 .

[26]  M. D. Still.  The Readability of Chairmen's Statements , 1972 .