Why Young Adults Lose Trust in Journalism: Testing Familiarity and Quality Theses

Abstract

The study explores what factors drive trust in news media – both mainstream and social media – among young adults. Previous studies have investigated the association between media consumption and the general public’s trust, focusing on factors such as source trustworthiness, journalism principles, and more, and examining why people lose trust in mainstream news media or turn to alternative media platforms given the growing distrust in traditional news sources. This study relies on the concepts of audience familiarity and news quality to understand their influence on trust both in mainstream and social media platforms among a particular segment of population. Drawing on the survey data from U.S. college students (N=138) and subsequent interviews with 7 young adults, this thesis investigates whether quality journalism practices – those that ensure commitment to truth in reporting, public interest, accuracy, unbiasedness, objectivity, transparency and fairness – affect young media consumers’ trust in both mainstream and social media. At the same time, this study aims to see whether familiarity with a particular media platform and its features such as ease of use, comfort, understandability and accessibility – foster trust among its users. Hierarchical regression analysis shows that journalism quality indicators – commitment to truth, accuracy, fairness and unbiasedness, and public interest-seeking predict young individuals’ perceived trust in the mainstream media. Notably, commitment to disseminating true reports came out as the most significant predictor of trust in both mainstream and social media as well. Users’ familiarity with social media platforms has been found to influence young people’s trust in social media as a news source.