Abstract
ABSTRACT As the news industry continues its ongoing struggle for financial stability, many now believe news publishers must shift from advertising- to audience-supported revenue models to survive. Yet those advocating for this transition believe it can only succeed if news organizations first improve their credibility among the public. This belief stems from two underlying assumptions: (1) trust in journalism is severely diminished throughout the world, and (2) news audience trust and loyalty are directly linked. This article investigates these assumptions by drawing on survey data collected from a representative panel of 1068 South Korean citizens in 2016. We find that more than half of South Korea’s audience is neutral when it comes to their news, neither trusting nor distrusting it. And while we find a significant relationship between how much people trust the news and how much of it they consume, we also find that this trust is not transferable across news platforms. In light of these results, we conclude that, when it comes to news audience behavior, more trust does lead to more loyalty; however, improving audience trust in one medium for news will not necessarily translate to more trust in—or support for—another.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
