The rapid advancement of research on trust and distrust in the news media plethora methodological approaches that accompany it leads us to critically reflect status quo make suggestions for road ahead. Following a brief overview conceptual definitions as well related concepts used journalism studies, we turn our main endeavour by presenting measurements field. We identify difficulties measuring both offer dealing with them. Specifically, focus four issues: concept drawn upon measurement,...

Scientists (and science as a whole) provide evidence and advice for societal problem solving collective decision-making. For this to be heard, the public must willing trust science, where “trust” means that one can confidently expect reliable knowledge evidence, even if one’s understanding of is bounded. According sociological psychological literature, citizens’ basic attitudes toward, experiences with, perceived trustworthiness trustee serve antecedents trust. From this, we developed model...

Online media offer unprecedented access to digital public spheres, largely enhancing users’ opportunities for participation and providing new means strengthening democratic discourse. At the same time, last decades have demonstrated that online discourses are often characterised by so-called ‘dark participation’ spreading of lies incivility. Using ‘problematic behaviour theory’ as framework focusing on incivility a specific form dark participation, this article investigates role personal...

Political communication via social media might well counter the eroding political trust. In particular, networking sites (SNS) enable direct flows of between citizens and elite, thereby reducing gaps. Based on concept personalization politics, we argue that interactions with politicians SNS affect trust in government through a two-step process: First, make evaluate politicians’ characters more favorably. Second, these evaluations serve as cues for to develop or withdraw government. We test...

Comments in designated sections of newspaper websites and on social media platforms are the most prominent form user participation journalism, offering opportunity to connect audience. Yet, rising levels dark hate speech, disinformation, strategic attempts influence public opinion, provide new challenges for organizations require moderators ensure a minimum discursive quality. Newsrooms employ variety moderation strategies. Based computer assisted telephone interviews with German journalists...

<p>The WHO’s decision to include addictive game use (‘gaming disorder’) in the ICD-11 was subject of controversial scientific debates (e.g., Aarseth et al., 2017; Rumpf 2018). However, knowledge is scarce on how perceived outside academic circles. The current study aimed fill this research gap by interviewing a stratified German sample (N=1,077) their attitudes towards topic. We found that critical views about games and addiction potential are rather common among general population....

Science is of crucial importance in contemporary societies. Concurrently, legacy news media outlets are losing their position as the main fora for discussing and providing information on science politics. In hybrid system, a broader range have emerged. Among them alternative media, which themselves corrective voices to “mainstream” media—including when it comes reporting science. this context, our focus individuals who come into contact with science-related via media. We draw “Science...

The increasing importance of social media in political communication since Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign has led to a highly productive, dynamic, and ever-growing field scholars researching the use by politicians. However, academic literature recent years also featured debates about heterogeneity research this area. It is commonly assumed critically discussed that these studies primarily revolve around U.S. context Twitter as primary source data, time frames focus on election...

The trustworthiness of journalistic sources has always been a crucial element working patterns and gained recently prominence in the public discourse about spectacular verification fails. To ensure correctness news, journalists have to trust their deliver reliable information. This article explores building processes relationship between distant they access online. Sociological psychological literature research on credibility are used develop an analytical model reflexive sources. Based...

Integrating user-generated content (UGC) has become an everyday practice in online journalism. Previous research suggests this can have both a beneficial and detrimental effect on recipient's perception of journalism's trustworthiness. We conducted experiment that, the one hand, examined overall influence integrating UGC news article compared to leaving it out altogether. On other we also analyzed how two specific modes UGC, namely its verification visualization, Controlling for different...

In recent times, distorted information has frequently been discussed as a serious problem for democracies. There are concerns that such spreading via social media may lead to severe effects, decline in cohesion. Apart from platforms and journalistic organizations, users play decisive role preventing the spread of by flagging, reporting or countering. The current study contributes literature providing new insights into users' motivations engaging this important task. Building on biased...

Integrating user-generated content (UGC) has become an everyday practice in online journalism. Previous research suggests this can have both a beneficial and detrimental effect on recipient’s perception of journalism’s trustworthiness. We conducted experiment that, the one hand, examined overall influence integrating UGC news article compared to leaving it out altogether. On other we also analyzed how two specific modes UGC, namely its verification visualization, Controlling for different...

Mit der quasi allgegenwärtigen Präsenz des (mobilen) Internets geht zum einen ein großes demokratisches Potential einher: Ganz nach Habermas' Theorie deliberativen Demokratie können sich Bürger_innen online frei über relevante Themen informieren und in Diskurs eintreten, zu einem gemeinsamen Konsens führt. Auf dunklen Seite digitalen Öffentlichkeit werden Fehlinformationen, Propaganda Hass eine Bühne geboten. Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt mit strategischen Verbreitung von Desinformation...

In a digital world, journalists increasingly integrate user-generated content (UGC) in their coverage. Journalists use coping strategies to dispel the audience’s supposed concerns about reliability of this new type sources and maintain confidence such Transparency, particular, is often considered as means preserve journalism from accusations being biased untrustworthy. We focus on perception evaluation two transparency strategies: origin UGC verification attempts. Based semi-structured...

Distorted information has been shown to affect individual cognition, behavior, and societal dynamics. This study examines belief formation in misinformation conspiracy theories, using the COVID-19 pandemic as a relevant case. It addresses gaps understanding whether different distorted beliefs arise from distinct factors how they influence processing. By analyzing theories—types of that differ facticity intent deceive—this seeks clarify cognitive social mechanisms behind these beliefs....

Online comments and contributions from users are not always constructive nor rational. This also applies to content that is directed at journalists or published on journalistic platforms. So-called ‘dark participation’ in online communication a challenge have face because it lowers users’ perceived credibility of media brands hinders deliberative discourse comment sections. study examines how perceive themselves relation dark participation, what measures they take against it, assess the...

Can transparency preserve