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Confusing Content, Platforms, and Data: Young Adults and Trust in News Media
[journal article]
Abstract News media trust, and the lack thereof, has been a prominent topic of discussion among journalism scholars in recent years. In this article, we study young adults' trust in news media from the perspectives of platformisation and datafication. For the empirical study, we collected interview data from... view more
News media trust, and the lack thereof, has been a prominent topic of discussion among journalism scholars in recent years. In this article, we study young adults' trust in news media from the perspectives of platformisation and datafication. For the empirical study, we collected interview data from 23 Finnish 19–25-year-old young adults and analysed it inductively with applied thematic analysis. Our analysis reveals that trust negotiation is relational and entails not accepted, but forced vulnerability in relation to news media and the platforms on which they operate. Unclarity about the agency of news media on social media platforms causes young adults to experience powerlessness and anxiety in the face of data collection, which in practice translates into indifference toward their data being used by both news media and social media platforms. We show that young adults face a variety of challenges when navigating the online (news) media environment, which as we identify, can result in three trust-diminishing confusions about content, platforms, and data. This may have profound effects on how journalism is viewed as a cornerstone of a democratic society.... view less
Keywords
vulnerability; social media; young adult; news; confidence; online media; journalism
Classification
Communicator Research, Journalism
Impact Research, Recipient Research
Free Keywords
data confusion; datafication; news trust; platformisation
Document language
English
Publication Year
2023
Page/Pages
p. 320-331
Journal
Media and Communication, 11 (2023) 4
Issue topic
Trust, Social Cohesion, and Information Quality in Digital Journalism
ISSN
2183-2439
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed