Abstract
This paper analyzes the French-speaking Belgian public’s reception of, and trust in, online news media. Based on a qualitative research carried out in 2009-2010, it will be showed that online newsreaders hold divided conceptions of media credibility and trust, some of which fall out of the theoretical/methodological canon of current media credibility research. Furthermore, respondents appeared to draw upon four heuristics to decide whether or not they place their trust in online news: the transparency heuristic, the accountability heuristic, the reputation heuristic, and the recommendation heuristic. The relevance of these heuristics to trust is clear insofar as they affect both newsreaders’ attributions of trustworthiness to online journalists and news media, and their willingness to engage in trusting relationships with them. At the end of the paper, some conclusions and implications for future research on trust in online news are discussed.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: 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.