: Society reacts collectively with moral condemnation.
A scandal is not merely a record of wrongdoing. It requires active, disruptive publicity to transform a private transgression into a public crisis. Sociologist Ari Adut defines scandal as "the disruptive publicity of transgression," highlighting that public exposure—not just the act itself—creates the event. Scandal
In the early 1970s, a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel led to a massive political cover-up. The aggressive investigative reporting by the Washington Post exposed President Richard Nixon's involvement, ultimately forcing his resignation. The Enron Collapse : Society reacts collectively with moral condemnation