Media Credibility Research Articles

A Fuzzy AHP and PCA Approach to the Role of Media in Improving Education and the Labor Market in the 21st Century

In a hyperproductive interactive environment, where speed and cost-effectiveness often overshadow accuracy, the media’s role is increasingly shifting towards an educational function, beyond its traditional informative and entertaining roles. This shift, particularly through the promotion of science and education, aims to bridge the gap between educational institutions and the labor market. In this context, the importance of 21st-century competencies—encompassing a broad range of knowledge and skills—becomes increasingly clear. Educational institutions are now expected to equip students with relevant, universally applicable, and market-competitive competencies. This paper proposes using a combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) to rank 21st-century competencies developed throughout the educational process to improve the system. The highest-ranked competency identified is the ability to manage information—specifically, gathering and analyzing information from diverse sources. It has been shown that respondents who developed “soft skills” and media literacy during their studies are better able to critically assess content on social networks and distinguish between credible and false information. The significance of this work lies in its focus on the damaged credibility of online media caused by user-generated content and the rapid spread of unverified and fake news. Denying such discourse or erasing digital traces is therefore futile. Developing a critical approach to information is essential for consistently identifying fake news, doctored images, and recordings taken out of context, as well as preventing their spread.

ANALYSIS OF THE FACTORS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON CONSUMER’S BUYING INTENTION

In a social media setting, it is critical to explore the constructs that drive consumers’ reactions toward advertisements as the lack of understanding of these factors may lead to misplaced advertising for marketers online. This study creates a multifaceted advertising model that assesses the effect of informativeness, entertainment, irritability, and credibility on the valuableness of social media advertising and how these factors influence consumers’ buying intentions. It adopted a covariance-based structural equation modelling approach where primary data was collected by administering questionnaires to a sample study of 364 selected participants, who were university students, employees, and entrepreneurs. The data gathered were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling method were used to examine the correlation between the identified predictors and purchase intention while validating the model constructed. The results established that a strong correlation exists between the perceived value of informativeness and credibility of social media advertising and customer buying intention. The findings, while frowning that advertisements with overly entertaining content may irritate potential buyers, posited that perceived value is critical in the conversion of advertising engagement into purchase habit. The study significantly highlighted that perceived value is the key mediator in the proposed model with a very strong correlation that impacts consumers’ buying intention; that is, consumers who perceive value in the ads are far more likely to express their buying intention. The study recommended that advertisers should focus on making their social media ads more valuable to positively affect customer perceptions.

Literature Review on Media Ethics

Being the embodiment of the professional ethics of journalists, media ethics plays a vital role in maintaining the authenticity and objectivity of news, protecting the public’s right to be informed and of participation, and enhancing the credibility of news media. In contemporary times, the emphasis on media ethics is not only of incredible significance to fulfill the needs of its sustainable development, but also provides an important guarantee for maintaining social public interests and promoting social stability and harmony. In this context, this paper aims at helping researchers clarify the status quo of relevant researches, main viewpoints put forward already, controversial focus and unresolved problems through literature review from different aspects, including the development of media ethics and the connotation and significance so as to determine the positioning of researches, avoid duplication of work, and find research gaps and breakthroughs. At the same time, it is intended to enhance mutual understanding and cooperation among the academic community by presenting research results and academic viewpoints to build up a benign environment for media ethics and news transmission in the new era.

Influential Factors in Media Credibility

Humans require information to perform their individual and social activities. Today, it is easier than ever to access a wide range of information. Mass media plays a crucial role in gathering and disseminating messages on various subjects to the public. Media outlets that have established trustworthiness in their operations hold a greater sway over audiences compared to others. In today's competitive media landscape, each media organization must earn and uphold the trust of its audience to ensure its longevity. The accurate delivery of messages through media plays an important role in shaping public opinion and aims to attract audiences while establishing credibility among different media channels. This research aims to identify the factors that can assist media organizations in maintaining and upholding their professional credibility with their audiences. In order to gain the trust of their audience, media outlets can follow these guidelines: -Depicting real-life situations accurately, -Refraining from getting involved in any subject matter, -Remaining unbiased in their activities, -Utilizing reliable sources for news, -The way news is delivered.

Media Credibility and Voter Penalization of Corrupt Politicians in Latin America

Abstract There has been a significant growth of social media as a means to inform oneself about politics. This article explores the consequences of this trend on the credibility audiences attribute to news exposing corrupt politicians and on their willingness to penalize the exposed politicians in elections. The study focuses on ten Latin American cities and employs a randomized control trial using experimental data embedded in a survey. Through this method, credibility and penalization levels are compared between state communications, newspapers, named journalists on social media, and anonymous journalists on social media. The article’s key findings demonstrate that corruption reports published on social media are deemed less credible than those published by state auditors and newspapers. This effect is exacerbated when the source of the report is anonymous. In addition, reports on corruption published on social media by anonymous sources have a negative effect on voter penalization of corrupt politicians.

The Role of Social Media in Building Trust, Creativity, and Satisfaction for Millennial Entrepreneurs

This research aims to investigate the role of social media in enhancing trust, self-perceived creativity, and satisfaction among millennial entrepreneurs. In general, the data was collected through sampling from mineral entrepreneurs in Jakarta. Where data collection is done by distributing questionnaires. The data was analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Finally, the research results show that social media marketing activities have a positive and significant impact on trust, social media marketing activities have a positive but not significant effect on self-perceived creativity, trust has a positive but not significant impact on self-perceived creativity, and trust has a negative and significant impact on entrepreneurial satisfaction. This research can contribute to marketing experts and millennial entrepreneurs in enhancing the quality of advertising information and the credibility of social media used to support creativity, trust, and satisfaction. Furthermore, marketing experts and millennial entrepreneurs with online-based communities should optimize their marketing activities on social media.

Communicating COVID-19 vaccine information to Chinese communities in the UK: a qualitative study of their knowledge, information sources and trust

IntroductionIn late 2020, the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates of Chinese people living in the UK were estimated between 52% and 57%, significantly lower than that of the general population (76%)....

The expectation-evaluation gap: Audience news engagement and perceptions of media performance and credibility

This study explicates and examines a hypothesized discrepancy in public perceptions of the normative roles of journalists and evaluations of journalists’ actual performance. We argue that journalistic functions and public perceptions are mutually constituted, a point that has been largely ignored in existing journalism studies literature. We theoretically connect the expectation-evaluation gap with the public assessment of media credibility in a model that involves the moderation effect by depth of news engagement. Contextualized in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 period, the study conducted a random sample survey of 603 residents. Results of data analyses supported all our hypotheses: (1) a salient expectation-evaluation gap exists; (2) the wider the gap, the lower the media credibility ratings; (3) cognitive engagement in news consumption is an important condition in the process. Findings mark an epistemological break from the traditional one-way approach in journalism studies, and could potentially inform the journalist-audience literature, public policy and the media industry.

Penalaran dalam Media Lokal: Analisis Opini Pada Kabar Madura

This study aims to analyse reasoning in the opinion columns of Kabar Madura, a prominent local newspaper in Madura. The research employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical design to understand and evaluate the quality of argumentation in these opinion columns. Data were collected through content analysis and discourse analysis of opinion articles published within a specific timeframe. The findings reveal that while many articles demonstrate effective rhetorical use and a critical approach, there are deficiencies in evidence presentation and logical consistency. More experienced writers tend to construct stronger arguments supported by relevant evidence, whereas less experienced writers often struggle to formulate coherent and logical arguments. This variation in argumentative quality indicates a need for writer training and capacity development. Additionally, the analysis shows that some articles adopt a critical approach that aids readers in understanding the complexities of local issues. The local social and cultural context also influences reasoning in the opinion columns, with articles relevant to the daily lives of the Madurese community receiving more positive responses. The study concludes that enhancing reasoning quality in opinion columns can improve the credibility and impact of local media in shaping public opinion. Practical recommendations include providing training for writers and further research encompassing more local media and mixed methods for more comprehensive results. This research contributes significantly to the development of more critical and responsible journalism within the local media context in Indonesia.

Creating, publishing, and spreading processes of health-related contents in internet news sites: evaluation of the opinions of actors in health communication.

The accuracy and reliability of health information disseminated through news is crucial, as it directly impacts both individual and societal health outcomes. This study aims to analyze the publication process of health content in Türkiye and its implications for public health. By examining the perspectives of various health communication stakeholders, the study seeks to identify existing issues and propose potential solutions. The research uses a mixed-methods approach, including baseline content analysis of 846 news by 133 criteria, quantitative research with 78 participants encompassing bureaucrats, academics, journalists, and health association members, and 15 in-depth interviews for comprehensive insights. The content analysis indicated that 23.2% of the analyzed news articles lacked credible sources, while 63% did not mention the author's name. A striking 96.2% of respondents stated that inaccurate health news poses a risk to public health, emphasizing the urgent need for standardized reporting practices. The majority (90.9%) pinpointed the media as the primary catalysts for infodemic spread, with 93.5% citing gatekeepers as barriers to accurate information. Eroding trust in media, fueled by unethical practices, harms both media credibility and effective public health interventions. The study underscores the necessity for a collaborative approach among public institutions, academia, and media, focusing on responsibility, regulation, and sanctions against the infodemic. The research advocates for a balanced approach that prioritizes health rights and press freedom within a stakeholder-driven framework, highlighting that legislation alone cannot fully enhance the digital information ecosystem.

Determining the Public Opinion on Rappler as A News Media Critic of the Administration

With the rise of social media and online platforms wherein information is only just a click away, there is still a grey area as to whether online users trust news sites and pages on the digital space. This study aims to assess and analyze the public perception of Rappler as a news media outlet wherein it highlights its role as a news media critic of the Duterte administration. The researchers collected the needed data to identify the public opinion of Filipino adults who are aged 18 and above regarding Rappler's critical way of reporting. This study is supported by data, articles, and related literature that are mainly focused on media trust, media credibility, and related factors towards the reported trust in media. Moreover, this study expounds the surrounding issues related to Rappler's investigative journalism. The study has been operationalized through online surveys and by setting certain eligibility requirements, which served as the qualifier for the respondents before answering the questionnaire. Additionally, this study shows a glimpse of the Media Effects Theory and its correlation to the study's nature. Upon analyzing the gathered data, results show that most respondents trust Rappler as a news media outlet critical of the Philippine government.

Multilayer Perceptron Network to Detect Fraud in Digital Images

The major challenge of data authenticity is how to check for image fraud, which createsa huge problemforthe credibility of visual media. In this paper, we proposea method to investigatethe performanceof a Multilayer Perceptron (MLP)to extract the fraud images,this network is a classof supervised Artificial Neural Network(ANN. Theproposal modelappliesMLP modelto allocateextracted image features in order to distinguishthembetween realand modifiedcontents. Theexaminedfeatures are includedwithinstatistical matrices, analysis of histogramspace, and possible inequality that may arise during modifications. The proposed MLP wastrained withdataset that contains both realand fraudulent images, thus allowing the modelto extractknowledge from the originalpatterns that differentiate between those two classes. The model's performance wasvalidated with severalmetrics, including accuracy,precision,and computational cost. Furthermore,this paper presentscomparisons against traditional methods that were examined in the procedure. The finding of this work enhances the model withimprovedimage fraud detection by showcasing the capabilities of MLPs within 162.59 seconds to 86% detection, while the base algorithm in 205.92 seconds succeeded in recognizing 82%.

Misinformation or hard to tell? An eye-tracking study to investigate the effects of food crisis misinformation on social media engagement

Visual misinformation about ongoing contaminated food crises poses a significant threat to organizational well-being and public health, particularly when people share incorrect images on social media. Corrective responses and highly credible media sources as effective strategies geared toward combating crisis misinformation. Extending Lewandowsky and colleagues’ (2012) corrective strategies for debunking misinformation, the concept of visual misinformation, cognitive process, and the theory of social sharing of emotion, this study aims to advance research on visual misinformation in public relations and crisis communication. A 2 (image veracity: incorrect vs. true) x 2 (corrective strategy: simple rebuttal vs. simple rebuttal + fact elaboration) x 2 (source credibility: high vs. low) between-subjects eye-tracking experiment was conducted to test the effects of these features on visual attention and intention to share. Additionally, we explored the mediation effects of emotional surprise and perceived crisis severity on sharing posts. Results showed visual cues (e.g., images and sources) and textual cues (e.g., corrective strategies) led to different allocations of visual attention. We found visual attention significantly mediated the effects of combined corrective messages on sharing. Additionally, feeling surprised also significantly mediated the effects of messages with low credible sources on sharing. This study provides insights into advancing crisis communication theory and offers evidence-based recommendations for health organizations and practitioners to better fight against food crisis misinformation.

Identifying the Impacts of Access to Different Information on Emergency Behaviors During COVID-19 Pandemic

Existing studies have verified the effect of information access on health behaviors, while less is known about the different impacts of distinct information access in a pandemic context. This study identified four information types (including disease knowledge, dynamic news, government measures, and social news) and then investigated how different information access affected preventive behaviors via perceived risk and media credibility during the COVID-19 outbreak in China. A nationally representative sampling survey on Chinese netizens was conducted ([Formula: see text]). It found that access to dynamic news, disease knowledge, and government measures positively predicted perceived severity, while only social news positively predicted perceived susceptibility. Access to disease knowledge, government measures, and social news were positively correlated with media credibility. The mediating roles of perceived risk and media credibility were proved. Besides, the statement of “cues-to-action” was also proved, which indicated that information access impacted behavioral changes more directly rather than through the mediators during COVID-19 pandemic. These findings contribute to a better understanding of how information access impacts public health behaviors in a pandemic context.

Four‐party evolutionary game analysis of geographical indication product quality control issues with network media‐assisted supervision

AbstractThis study focuses on addressing quality supervision issues related to opportunistic behavior within the geographical indication product supply chain. It constructs an evolutionary game model comprising suppliers, distributors, government, and network media. Through analysis, it examines the influence of key factors on the decision‐making dynamics of game participants and presents management suggestions accordingly. The findings are as follows: firstly, the dual supervision model with the assistance of network media can compensate for the regulatory gaps of the government's single supervision model. Secondly, the credibility of network media plays a pivotal role in determining the efficacy of public opinion supervision. With high credibility, measures such as increasing the synergy coefficient, imposing higher fines or compensation amounts, and enhancing the impact of reputational factors can all restrain the misconduct of operating entities. Conversely, when credibility is low, not only does the supervisory function of network media falter, but it also leads to reputational damage for both the operating entities and the government. Thirdly, differentiated management should be adopted for entities in different nodes of the supply chain; higher constraint intensity should be imposed on distributors compared to suppliers. The outcomes of this study provide some analytical paths for supply chain quality supervision and corporate behavior management and underscore the significance of collaborative regulation for sustainable industry practices.

Reasons to fight: preliminary results on motivations to combat fake news

Introduction. To encourage the public to combat online fake news and revalue truth, it is important to explore the factors that affect individual intention to combat fake news. Method. This study provides answers using survey data from a representative sample collected in the U.S. (N = 804). Analysis. We examined the impacts of planned-behaviour-theory components and prior experience of being deceived by fake news on the intentions of news verification, fake news refutation, and fact-checks sharing, with demographical characteristics, media use, and media credibility under control. The study also examined prior experience as a moderator in the models. Results. Results showed that subjective norms and prior experience of being deceived by fake news were positively correlated with intentions of all three behaviours that help to combat fake news. Prior experience moderated the effect of subjective norms on fake news refutation, and the effect of perceived control on fact-checks sharing. Conclusion. The findings of this study help scholars and industry practitioners to understand audiences’ interaction with online information and what drives audiences to combat information fakeness. Prior experience of being deceived by fake news is a significant driver.

Investigating the Relationships Among HMP, Credibility, and TPP of News Media and Their Links to News Media Policy Support

Abstract Prior research has suggested that perceptions of bias, credibility, and influence of news media may relate to one another but there have been relatively few efforts to integrate these concepts under a coherent theoretical framework. Based on social identity theory, we examined whether political identity relates to hostile media perception (HMP), credibility, and third-person perception (TPP) and if such perceptions in tandem predict attitudes toward news media policies—restriction of news media and media literacy education, which may neutralize the influences of seemingly hostile and untrustworthy news media. Findings from two national online surveys showed that strong partisans tend to perceive stronger HMP and less credibility in news media. Additionally, progressives had greater HMP. HMP and TPP were positively associated with media restriction policy support and media literacy education support. Credibility showed negative associations with restrictive media policy support, whereas the opposite pattern was found in the relationship with media education support. Furthermore, the positive associations between HMP and media policy support were mediated by TPP. The negative associations between credibility and restrictive media policy support were also mediated by TPP.

An Analysis and Countermeasures of News Inversion in the Post-truth Era

In the digital age, the swift proliferation of the Internet and new media has led to the frequent occurrence of “news inversion”, significantly undermining societal trust and the credibility of mainstream media. Such news, often pivoting on social hot topics, garners extensive public attention and epitomizes the challenges of the “post-truth” era, where traditional journalistic ethics are under siege. This paper aims to dissect the roots and repercussions of news inversion and propose effective strategies to mitigate its widespread influence.

Social Media Marketing Initiatives and Brand Loyalty

Background: Social media advertising strategies have radically changed how brands interact with consumers and cultivate brand loyalty. The study's principal objective was to identify the influence of social media marketing activities on consumer brand loyalty toward shopping goods. Methods: The study used primary data from a structured survey questionnaire with the six-point Likert scale sent to Nepalese customers. The study's sampling was convenient, and the Kathmandu-based location was chosen as the sample site. The study's population was the consumers of consumer shopping goods. People who purchase consumer shopping items were given 600 surveys, but only 395 usable questionnaires were collected. Results: Through the path analysis, the influence of the credibility of social media significantly and positively influenced brand loyalty (β = 0.165, p < 0.05). It was also found that the informativeness of social media significantly impacted brand loyalty toward consumer shopping goods (β = 0.130, p < 0.05). Likewise, it was also investigated whether social media entertainment significantly impacts brand loyalty (β = 0.426, p < 0.05) toward consumer shopping goods in the Nepalese market. Conclusion: By leveraging the power of social media venues to engage with customers, deliver pertinent content, and create personalized experiences, businesses may cultivate a strong emotional connection with their target audience, increasing brand loyalty and trust. Novelty: The study results show how future researchers and business people can look at the new conditions for market growth.

Influence of Media Credibility and Information Quality on Visiting Interest: An Analysis of the @WonderfulIndonesia Instagram Account on Millennial Travelers

Tourism in Indonesia holds significant potential, with domestic tourism being a primary focus for the government. The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia has developed the "Wonderful Indonesia" branding, utilizing the @WonderfulIndonesia Instagram account to promote domestic tourism. This study examines the impact of media credibility and information quality on millennials' interest in visiting domestic tourist destinations, using the @WonderfulIndonesia account as a case study. Utilizing the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) theory, the research emphasizes the importance of persuasive message delivery through digital platforms. Data were collected from a survey of 30 respondents and analyzed using validity, reliability, and multiple regression tests with SPSS 26. Results indicate that media credibility and information quality account for 31.6% of the variance in visiting interest, demonstrating a significant positive relationship. However, 69.4% of the variance is influenced by other factors, suggesting the need for further research into variables such as media exposure and content attractiveness.