Trial by Media in High-Profile Chinese Cases: A Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

In the social media era, “trial by media” has evolved into widespread public participation in “trial by public opinion,” posing complex challenges to procedural justice. Existing research often focuses on macro-theory or linear effects, lacking exploration into the meso-level mechanisms of how multiple conditions combine. To address this gap, this study employs fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) to systematically examine how nine antecedent conditions—including case attributes, dissemination features, and socio-emotional structures—combine to trigger trial by public opinion, based on 22 high-profile Chinese judicial cases from 2014 to 2025. The findings reveal no single necessary condition but five sufficient causal paths, which converge into three core configurations: the “Collective Moral Outrage” configuration (triggered by heinous crimes), the “Reactive Confrontation” configuration (arising from public power disputes), and the “Collective Speculation” configuration (catalyzed by factual ambiguity). Moving beyond the binary debate of “whether influence occurs,” this study constructs a configurational theoretical framework that elucidates the heterogeneous pathways and underlying socio-psychological dynamics behind the formation of public opinion trials. The conclusions provide empirical and theoretical insights for developing precise judicial communication, public guidance, and governance strategies tailored to different risk types in the digital age.