Digital Media and Perceptions of Source Credibility in Political Communication

Abstract

and KeywordsThe rich research heritage on source credibility is fundamentally linked to processes of political communication and the provision of political information. Networked digital technologies, however, have recently complicated the assessment of source credibility by modifying people's ability to determine source expertise and trustworthiness, which are the foundations upon which credibility evaluations have traditionally rested. This chapter explores source credibility in online contexts by examining the credibility of digital versus traditional channels, the nature of political information conveyed by social media, and the dynamics of political information online. In addition, this chapter considers related research concerns, including the link between credibility and selective exposure, the potential for group polarization, and the role of social media in seeking and delivering credible political information. These concerns suggest challenges and opportunities as information consumers navigate the contemporary information environment in search of the knowledge to make them informed members of a politically engaged citizenry.

Whom to Believe? Understanding and Modeling Brain Activity in Source Credibility Evaluation

“…Search for the term “source credibility” on Google Scholar returns an excess of 12,000 results (for an overview of recent publications, especially on the subject of Web content credibility, see Wierzbicki, 2018 ). Research in this subject has ranged from investigating impact of source credibility on politics (Flanagin and Metzger, 2017 ) to healthcare (Kareklas et al, 2015 ).…”

Interdisciplinary Lessons Learned While Researching Fake News

“…Data science has been used and suggested for solutions to digital deception. This shows the enduring value of messenger credibility as discussed by Flanagin and Metzger (2014). Reputations can be discredited for an affordable cost, and reporters are human, so mistakes will happen.…”

“…Gu et al (2017) observed that the cost to discredit a reporter was $50,000. Flanagin and Metzger (2014) noted the role of credibility in presentation, as well as perceptions of honesty and fairness, even when the message remained constant. Ethos applied to the messenger will be further discussed in the archival data subsection of this article.…”

“…This assumption may be attributed to an anchoring bias where the target believes that because they are honest, news sources are also honest. This is compounded when the information is received from a trusted source (Flanagin and Metzger, 2014).…”

Disentangling the Echo Chamber: How Exposure to Congruent and Incongruent Opinion Climates on Social Networking Sites Impacts Users’ Processing and Selection of Information

“…Furthermore, perceiving an opposing political group or 'opinion camp' as inferior to the own is in turn likely to foster the selection of congruent information. Research into the credibility of information sources highlights that information which stems from a distrusted source is more likely to be disregarded and information search hence guided toward more trustworthy ones (Flanagin & Metzger, 2014). Consequently, when exposed to an overtly congruent or incongruent opinion climate, tolerance toward politically incongruent individuals may decrease, which consequently increases selective exposure to congruent information.…”