Credibility Of News Media Research Articles

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.

Mimicking Human Verification Behavior for News Media Credibility Evaluation

The widespread popularity of digital technology has enabled the rapid dissemination of news. However, it has also led to the emergence of “fake news” and the development of a media ecosystem with serious prejudices. If early warnings about the source of fake news are received, this provides better outcomes in preventing its spread. Therefore, the issue of understanding and evaluating the credibility of media has received increasing attention. This work proposes a model of evaluating news media credibility called MiBeMC, which mimics the structure of human verification behavior in networks. Specifically, we first construct an intramodule information feature extractor to simulate the semantic analysis behavior of human information reading. Then, we design a similarity module to mimic the process of obtaining additional information. We also construct an aggregation module. This simulates human verification of correlated content. Finally, we apply regularized adversarial training strategy to train the MiBeMC model. The ablation study results demonstrate the effectiveness of MiBeMC. For the CLEF-task4 development and test dataset, the performance of the MiBeMC over state-of-the-art baseline methods is evaluated and found to be superior.

Poisoning the information well?

Abstract This study examines the impact of fake news discourse on perceptions of news media credibility. If participants are told they have been exposed to fake news, does this lead them to trust information institutions less, including the news media? Study 1 (n = 188) found that news media credibility decreased when participants were told they saw fake news, while news credibility did not change when participants were told they saw real news. Study 2 (n = 400) found that those who saw fake news – and were told they saw a fake news post – decreased their trust in the news media while those who saw fake news and were not debriefed did not change their perceptions of the news media. This shows that the social impact of fake news is not limited to its direct consequences of misinforming individuals, but also includes the potentially adverse effects of discussing fake news.

News Media Credibility Ratings and Perceptions of Online Fake News Exposure in Five Countries

ABSTRACT This study examined media credibility ratings as predictors of perceptions of online fake political news exposure (FNE) among internet users in five Arab countries: Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, and UAE (N = 4,616). Regression models of media credibility and media use variables explained sizeable amounts of variance in FNE in three countries (14% to 26%). The hypothesis that respondents’ credibility ratings of news media would negatively predict FNE, however, was only partially supported—a relationship observed in two of the five countries. The strongest positive correlate of FNE was the belief that fake news online should be blocked. Implications for research on public perceptions of fake news and for research on media credibility are discussed.

Seeing Eye to Eye: A Comparison of Audiences’ and Journalists’ Perceptions of Professional Roles and How They Relate to Trust

ABSTRACT The “gap” between journalist and audience expectations could be one reason why news media credibility is generally low. Journalistic expectations are often explored through analysis of the news worker’s role in society. One understudied topic in roles literature is perceptions of newer contextual reporting roles that consider society’s best interests: reporting in a socially responsible manner, alerting the public of threats and opportunities, accurately portraying the world, and contributing to society’s well-being. A representative survey of 1047 U.S. residents demonstrated audience perceptions of these contextual roles and more traditional journalistic roles. Responses were then compared to similar surveys of news professionals. Findings indicate that U.S. audiences diverge from journalists—especially newspaper/online journalists—in their role estimations, including more positive evaluations of adversarial and political roles. However, the order of role preference was largely similar among the groups, and both citizens and journalists highly valued contextual roles. Subsequent analyses showed that audience role perceptions influenced news trust more than demographics such as political ideology. Citizen belief in adversarial and disseminator journalistic roles strongly predicted greater trust in news reports.

Retratos de género nas notícias televisivas: uma análise das desigualdades por detrás da representação numérica

This research is based on a reflection on the various studies that have highlighted gender asymmetries in media representations and the symbolic annihilationof women’s roles in the public sphere. Considering that the ideal of a participatory democracy assumes, among other things, the balanced inclusion of female and masculine voices, and taking into account the importance and credibility of news media as a public debate arena, we have chosen to focus our analysis in the television news programs of three main broadcasters – RTP1, SIC and TVI. For this purpose, we have developed a coding grid which was applied to a set of 1764 television news during a period of one year. The methodology used was designed to analyze gender social representations with regard to social roles and power relationships in the public sphere. In the analysis of the results obtained we have verified that the current portrayal of women and men in television news has been contributing to the reproduction and maintenance of gender stereotypes that tend to associate the men to work, productivity and power; and women to private life social roles, placing them mostly on the margins of the public sphere.

News Media Credibility comparative between Internet and Television in Jordan

In this study, a survey design was used to determine the factors influences the perception of media credibility in Jordanian societies to decipher how respondents perceive the Internet and television in terms of credibility for news information. A survey with 400 non-academic professional staff was conducted to determine the factors that influence their perception towards media credibility. The systematic sampling method was used to select for inclusion in the sample. The results of the study revealed that television is more credible than Internet to convey news because in Jordan they didn’t have legal information law in the social media . This study also explored a positive and significant relationship between issue salience, media reliance, and media usage with perception of the Internet and television credibility.

Media use predictors of online political efficacy among Internet users in five Arab countries

ABSTRACTInformed by research on the uses and gratifications of the Internet for political activity, this study examines predictors of online political efficacy among Internet users in five Arab countries (N = 4029): Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Lebanon, Qatar, and the U.A.E. As predicted, variables presumed to be associated with political dissidence in Arab countries – unemployment, distrust of mainstream media, young age, and feeling country is on the wrong track – were not positively associated with online political efficacy. Counter to what was hypothesized, however, Internet reliance and social media use were not strongly or consistently associated with online political efficacy in the five countries. Rather, the strongest predictors of efficacy were a belief in news media credibility, print media use (newspapers, magazines, and books), belief in the reliability of online information, and tolerance of free speech online. Findings align with some prior research on predictors of online political efficacy, but not with common presumptions of the role the Internet plays among Arab publics.

Comparison & Magnitude Credibility: Whom to Trust When Reports are Conflicting?

This study used the concepts of comparison credibility and magnitude credibility to assess perceived news media credibility in China. It also investigated which sources people trusted more when they encountered conflicting reports regarding different kinds of stories including entertainment news, disaster news and political news. A random sample from three major metropolises (n = 1,844) were telephone interviewed. Results indicated that television was perceived as the most trustworthy. Regardless of the type of stories, people trusted national Chinese media over other media outlets. Implications on credibility research are discussed.

Pacific Journalism Monographs No 2: Coups, conflicts and human rights

At the heart of a global crisis over news media credibility and trust is Britain’s so-called Hackgate scandal involving the widespread allegations of phone-hacking and corruption against the now defunct Rupert Murdoch tabloid newspaper News Of The World. Major inquiries on media ethics, professionalism and accountability have been examining the state of the press in New Zealand, Britain and Australia. The Murdoch media empire has stretched into the South Pacific with the sale of one major title being forced by political pressure. The role of news media in global South nations and the declining credibility of some sectors of the developed world’s Fourth Estate also pose challenges for the future of democracy. Truth, censorship, ethics and corporate integrity are increasingly critical media issues in the digital age for a region faced with coups, conflicts and human rights violations, such as in Fiji and West Papua. In this monograph, Professor David Robie reflects on the challenges in the context of the political economy of the media and journalism education in the Asia-Pacific region. He also engages with emerging disciplines such as deliberative journalism, peace journalism, human rights journalism, and revisits notions of critical development journalism and citizen journalism.

Media Today - Public Perception (with Special Reference to News Channels)

Media is one of the most effective pillars of democracy. It is obliged to engage in ethical reporting as well. Thus, the biggest challenge for the reporters is to diligently follow the principles of journalism in the true sense of them. The news media is a powerful tool because it provides the public with crucial information, but more importantly the manner in which news pieces are presented can determine how viewers form their opinions about different public issues. The news channels must act in public interest and should not be guided by the whimsicals of raising the TRP and circulation of their newspapers. Trends of engaging in irresponsible&intrusive reporting should be curbed at any cost. The purpose of the study was to investigate the news-media credibility perception with respect to news coverage by various news channels. To fulfill the purpose a specifically designed questionnaire was administered upon a purposively selected sample of 30 professionals.

Why They Don’t Trust the Media: An Examination of Factors Predicting Trust

Political communication literature reveals an ongoing scholarly interest in issues surrounding the credibility of news media. Despite scientific evidence to the contrary, many consumers continue to believe U.S. news media have a political bias and, therefore, are not to be trusted. This study seeks to explain media trust using a new theoretical model. The findings, based on national survey data, suggest that political ideology and partisanship, trust in government and fellow citizens, and one’s view of the economy influence the degree to which audience members trust the news media.

Audience Perceptions of Female Sports Reporters: A Social-Identity Approach

Attempts at investigating female sports reporters’ credibility and persuasiveness from the audience’s perspective are limited and outdated. This study, grounded in social identity theory, fills the gap in media literature. A quasi-experiment tested respondents’ perceptions of male and female sports reporters’ credibility and persuasiveness as a function of salient gender identity and reporter and athlete sex. Respondents’ sports fandom, frequency of sports-media usage, and general perceptions of news-media credibility also were examined. Results of a MANOVA indicated no significant differences in respondents’ perceptions of a male and female reporter, even when controlling for respondent gender; however, sports fandom and general perceptions of news-media credibility did have a significant impact on perceptions.

The Role of Financial Media in Corporate Financing

Financial media are the most common information sources for retail investors. This paper investigates the reputation effect of financial journalists on capital markets. As the current financial crisis gets worse, the financial press has benefited from the economic plunge since both old and potential investors are eager to know whether they can recover from their losses and when is the right time to start buying. Nevertheless, recent surveys reveal that the news media's credibility has plunged broadly and steadily.The surge in readers and viewers for online, printout and broadcasting financial news indicate that the public believes that financial journalists have access to companies' private information. In the meantime, it is well acknowledged that financial media may spin the news to cater to the preferences of the readers or to pursue its own interests. Consistent to that fact, research shows that investors digest the media-released information with caution and investors' decisions are influenced by the media even though they are aware of the existence of media manipulation. It leaves us the following questions that have not been paid much attention by economists so far: How rational investors de-bias the information provided by the media based on their belief about the media's credibility? How such belief is incorporated into share prices? Would the media's reputation have impact on its reporting strategy and on the decision-making of other market players, such as equity issuers? The model considers an issuing firm that may bribe a journalist in exchange for favorable commentaries. Investors price the new shares based on their belief on a journalist's honesty. The results show that the higher the journalist's reputation, the higher will be the issuing price. There is also an positive relation between a journalist's reputation and the amount of the bribe. Competition in the media market can improve the investment efficiency only if an honest journalist exists. If investors have doubt on the integrity of the journalist, publishing favorable reports damages his reputation even if the reports are accurate. To retain his credibility in the long run, an opportunistic journalist does not mimic the honest type, but rather randomizes his strategies between colluding and writing excessively critical articles. The results have implications for the regulation of financial media.

News on the Net

An online survey was conducted to assess the perception of credibility of various forms of news media, including Internet news sites associated with traditional forms of media and nontraditional Internet news sites. The survey also explored a possible link between news media credibility and scores on a modern racism scale. This study found that people held differential perceptions of Internet news credibility. Specifically, nontraditional Internet sources were perceived as far less credible than all other news sources. After controlling for a number of factors, the results suggest that those who view nontraditional Internet news sources as more credible than traditional media also score higher on a modern racism scale. The theoretical implications of these findings are discussed, with a focus on the Internet as a safe haven for divergent, even racist, beliefs.

Trust in News Media

The dimensions that individuals apply in evaluating the trustworthiness or credibility of news media bear great theoretical and practical relevance. In previous research, however, there is no standardized scale for the measurement of trust in news media. Thus, the purpose of this article is to present the development and validation of a multidimensional scale of trust in news media. A theoretically derived model is tested on a representative sample via confirmatory factor analysis. After some modifications, the model is then validated on another independent sample. These results confirm the hypothesis that trust in news media can be considered a hierarchical factor (of second order) that consists of four lower order factors, including trust in the selectivity of topics, trust in the selectivity of facts, trust in the accuracy of depictions, and trust in journalistic assessment. This model is the first validated scale of trust in news media in communication research.

Decomposing Korean News Media Credibility in the Internet Age

Decomposing Korean News Media Credibility in the Internet Age

New World journalism in Mauritius: The credibility of development news in the Third World

This study examines how a Third World audience perceives the credibility of development news. This problem arises from the debate over UNESCO's New World Information and Communication Order (NWICO). A model of news media credibility is employed to test whether a Third World audience sees differences between development news and independent news in terms of fairness/balance, believability, penetration of community problems and accuracy. In a probability sample in Mauritius (N=502) development-type news on TV was rated higher than news in a “free” press on fairnessfoalance, but other credibility dimensions were not significantly different for the sample as a whole. Higher levels of education are associated with newspaper use. When separated by media use, the sample showed newspaper readers perceive significant differences in fairness/balance and believability between media, but TV news viewers do not. The data suggest part of the news audience sees - and cares about - the difference in state-influenced deve...