Can transparency preserve journalism’s trustworthiness? Recipients’ views on transparency about source origin and verification regarding user-generated content in the news

Abstract

<p>In a digital world, journalists increasingly integrate user-generated content (UGC) in their coverage. Journalists use coping strategies to dispel the audience’s supposed concerns about the reliability of this new type of sources and to maintain the audience’s confidence in such coverage. Transparency, in particular, is often considered as a means to preserve journalism from accusations of being biased and untrustworthy. We focus on the audience’s perception and evaluation of two transparency strategies: transparency about the origin of UGC and transparency about verification attempts. Based on semi-structured interviews with German users (N = 26), this study analyzes recipients’ perceptions of transparency strategies journalists use when integrating UGC. Most of the respondents rarely perceive transparency about source origin or verification in their everyday media use. Even when noticed, transparency efforts barely seem to increase journalistic trustworthiness. </p>

The quality oriented, the audience engagers, the transparent: Types of editorial trust-building in German news outlets

“…Concerning transparency, studies find mixed evidence on whether it actually influences trust (Curry and Stroud, 2021). However, there are some transparency formats that, based on empirical evidence, can be considered beneficial, such as the explanation of the processes behind news production (Masullo et al, 2022), as well as source transparency (Beham, 2020; Wintterlin et al, 2020), which are both done by many of the editorial offices surveyed. For other formats, effects are unclear (Curry and Stroud, 2021).…”

“…(Karlsson, 2020: 3) Especially direct, non-mediated forms of transparency (happening in face-to-face-contact between journalists and the public, compared to indirect forms, mediated through journalistic products), such as live events or guided newsroom-tours seem promising here. As surveys show, recipients value transparency both in general as well as when it comes to building trust (Uth et al, 2021;Wintterlin et al, 2020). Experimental studies however do not come to an unanimous conclusion on whether transparency actually has trust-building effects (see the overview of Curry and Stroud, 2021).…”

“…Approached in a strategic way that allows recipients to gain their own, unbiased impression of what happens behind the scenes, transparency has the potential to (re)gain citizens who do not yet trust journalism or have lost trust: “Transparency could thus appeal to low-trust members of the public who, all other things being equal, do not trust journalism and the news media under regular conditions, but may eventually, find journalism more trustworthy through acts of transparency.” (Karlsson, 2020: 3) Especially direct, non-mediated forms of transparency (happening in face-to-face-contact between journalists and the public, compared to indirect forms, mediated through journalistic products), such as live events or guided newsroom-tours seem promising here. As surveys show, recipients value transparency both in general as well as when it comes to building trust (Uth et al, 2021; Wintterlin et al, 2020). Experimental studies however do not come to an unanimous conclusion on whether transparency actually has trust-building effects (see the overview of Curry and Stroud, 2021).…”

Lost in the stream? Professional efficacy perceptions of journalists in the context of dark participation

“…Future research could examine why journalists nonetheless apply an authoritative moderation style when interacting with users. Structural factors on the side of media organizations as well as individual role perceptions could play a role here (Wintterlin, Engelke et al, 2020).…”

“…Other authors emphasize that transparency gains importance as it fosters public accountability (Singer, 2007) and serves as a means to maintain professional autonomy (Allen, 2008; Curry and Stroud, 2019). Some studies also found that citizens expect journalism to be transparent on a general level (van der Wurff and Schönbach, 2014) and that transparency increases trust in journalism (Meier and Reimer, 2011; Wintterlin, Engelke et al, 2020). These findings suggest that journalists could adequately react to the challenge of accusations by being transparent about their working practices.…”