Political discussion, opinion leadership and trust

Abstract

The recent developments in political communication, in particular the process of popularization of politics and the diffusion of Internet, are notably challenging the relationship between citizens and media. In this rapidly evolving context it is worth analysing the role of political discussion in personal networks and small groups. Also, very recent research has offered new evidence to the old thesis that, despite the massive presence of mass media, personal discussion shapes the formation of the political opinion. A particularly important aspect concerns the nature of opinion leadership: who are the new opinion leaders able to influence processes of interpersonal communication? This article reassesses such a theoretical framework by reviewing the state-of-the-art and providing a foundation for a debate on the themes of trust in information sources and the impact of opinion leaders.