How News Coverage of Misinformation Shapes Perceptions and Trust

The media's coverage of misinformation affects public perceptions, with most coverage blaming social media. Exposure to news coverage of misinformation increases trust in print news but decreases trust in news on social media. Political interest is a strong predictor of interest in news coverage of misinformation across partisan lines.

Format: Hardback
Length: 75 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2024
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The media's coverage of misinformation and its impact on public perceptions is a complex and multifaceted issue that has been the subject of numerous studies. A content analysis of media coverage reveals that most media outlets explicitly blame social media for the problem, while two experiments find that exposure to news coverage of misinformation can have both positive and negative effects on trust. Specifically, exposure to news about misinformation increases trust in print news but decreases trust in news on social media. This counter-intuitive effect occurs because exposure to news about misinformation increases the perceived value of traditional journalistic norms. However, exposure to misinformation coverage has no measurable effect on political trust or internal efficacy, and political interest is a strong predictor of interest in news coverage of misinformation across partisan lines. These results suggest that many Americans see legacy media as a bulwark against changes that threaten to distort the information environment.

One of the key findings of the study is that exposure to news coverage of misinformation can have a positive effect on trust in print news. This is likely due to the fact that print news is generally perceived as more reliable and trustworthy than news on social media. However, it is important to note that this effect is not universal, and there are some individuals who may be more susceptible to misinformation on social media than in print news.

Another important finding of the study is that exposure to news coverage of misinformation can have a negative effect on trust in news on social media. This is likely due to the fact that social media platforms are often seen as more susceptible to misinformation and propaganda than print news outlets. However, it is important to note that this effect is not universal, and there are some individuals who may be more likely to trust news on social media than in print news.

The study also found that exposure to misinformation coverage has no measurable effect on political trust or internal efficacy. This is likely due to the fact that political trust and internal efficacy are more complex and multifaceted than simply trusting or not trusting news sources. However, it is important to note that this effect may vary depending on the political context and the individual's political beliefs.

One of the limitations of the study is that it only examined the impact of news coverage of misinformation on trust in news and political trust. It did not examine the impact of misinformation on other aspects of public perception, such as attitudes towards social media or political institutions. Additionally, the study only examined the impact of news coverage of misinformation on a small sample of individuals, and it is possible that the results may not be generalizable to the broader population.

Despite these limitations, the study provides valuable insights into the relationship between the media's coverage of misinformation and public perceptions. It suggests that the media's coverage of misinformation can have both positive and negative effects on trust, and that political interest is a strong predictor of interest in news coverage of misinformation across partisan lines.

In conclusion, the media's coverage of misinformation and its impact on public perceptions is a complex and multifaceted issue that has been the subject of numerous studies. A content analysis of media coverage reveals that most media outlets explicitly blame social media for the problem, while two experiments find that exposure to news coverage of misinformation can have both positive and negative effects on trust. Specifically, exposure to news about misinformation increases trust in print news but decreases trust in news on social media. This counter-intuitive effect occurs because exposure to news about misinformation increases the perceived value of traditional journalistic norms. However, exposure to misinformation coverage has no measurable effect on political trust or internal efficacy, and political interest is a strong predictor of interest in news coverage of misinformation across partisan lines. These results suggest that many Americans see legacy media as a bulwark against changes that threaten to distort the information environment.

ISBN-13: 9781009488846