The influence of sensationalist features in television news stories on perceived news quality and perceived sensationalism of viewers in different age groups

This study investigates whether the decreased trust in news media can be explained by the increase in sensationalism in news. To this end, an experiment was conducted in which viewers (N = 288) evaluated sensationalist versus non-sensationalist television news in terms of perceived news quality and perceived sensationalism. Each participant watched four television news stories that varied in the presence of two categories of sensationalism: arousing content and tabloid packaging. Findings showed that sensationalist television news tends to be more negatively evaluated than non-sensationalist news. In addition, critical views on arousing content appeared to be particularly visible among young and middle-aged adults. These findings suggest that the rise of sensationalist news could be an explanation of the declining trust in news media that is witnessed in a number of countries

Media Bias through Facial Expressions on Local Las Vegas Television News

Trust in news media has been considered an important base for social order and cohesion in society and is a crucial variable for evaluating news media. Media credibility has been questioned by the audience for some time and the audience’s trust in the media has been slowly diminishing over the years. When a news broadcaster communicates a story on local television news, it is possible for his own opinions and beliefs to leak through nonverbal communication, specifically facial expressions. This presentation explores the four main local Las Vegas television news stations’ anchors and reporters to visually analyze whether facial characteristics reveal media bias while reporting the news

The influence of sensationalist features in television news stories on perceived news quality and perceived sensationalism of viewers in different age groups

Contains fulltext : 189806.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)This study investigates whether the decreased trust in news media can be explained by the increase in sensationalism in news. To this end, an experiment was conducted in which viewers (N = 288) evaluated sensationalist versus non-sensationalist television news in terms of perceived news quality and perceived sensationalism. Each participant watched four television news stories that varied in the presence of two categories of sensationalism: arousing content and tabloid packaging. Findings showed that sensationalist television news tends to be more negatively evaluated than non-sensationalist news. In addition, critical views on arousing content appeared to be particularly visible among young and middle-aged adults. These findings suggest that the rise of sensationalist news could be an explanation of the declining trust in news media that is witnessed in a number of countries.12 p

El contrato de confianza con la información televisiva

The work focuses on the trust that society places on the Spanish television news. From the relative fidelity to the various news programs of the respective television networks, it can be supposed the domain of the trust in television networks above the trust in its programmes and professionals. Based on the relative limitations of luhmanian approach to account for the trust with regard to organized mediated communication system, it is made an empirical approach to the perception of the public television news. The main empirical sources are various surveys of Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas and six focus groups among the middle class, with different ages. They were held in Madrid and focused on information in television.El trabajo aborda la confianza que la sociedad española deposita en las noticias televisivas. Desde la relativa fidelidad a los distintos programas informativos de las respectivas cadenas televisivas, cabe establecer la hipótesis del dominio de la confianza en la cadena sobre sus elementos (programas, profesionales). Partiendo de las relativas limitaciones del enfoque luhmaniano para dar cuenta de la confianza con respecto al sistema de comunicación mediada organizada, se realiza una aproximación empírica a la percepción que tiene el público de las noticias televisivas. Las fuentes empíricas principales son diversas encuestas del Centro de Investigaciones Sociológicas y seis grupos de discusión entre sectores de la clase media, con distintas edades, llevados a cabo en Madrid, y centrados en la información en televisión

Do You Trust Scientists About the Environment?

In this brief, author Lawrence Hamilton examines the results of a Granite State Poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center in late January–early February 2014. The poll asked about public trust in scientists, along with other questions on science, political, and social issues that help to place the science-trust results in perspective. Almost two-thirds of New Hampshire residents surveyed say that they trust scientists to provide accurate information about environmental issues. Only 12 percent do not trust scientists to provide this information. Wide disparities occur along party lines, however, regarding this and other questions about science. The 53 percent gap between Democrats and Republicans on climate change is one of the largest for any issue. Trust in scientists shows a somewhat narrower Democrat–Republican gap (37 percent), which is larger than those for historically divisive social issues such as abortion or the death penalty. Answers to these survey questions also relate to respondents’ news media sources, even after statistical adjustments for political party, age, gender and education. People who often listen to New Hampshire Public Radio are more likely to say they trust scientists, and respond differently from other New Hampshire residents on several other science-related questions. People who often watch local television news or read newspapers, on the other hand, respond differently on questions about the death penalty or gun control

Coercion or Conformism? Censorship and Self-Censorship among Russian Media Personalities and Reporters in the 2010s

Federal television is a crucial element of the political system in Putin’s Russia. 88% of the Russian population use television news as their prime source of information, 65% regard the news reporting as objective and 51% trust television as an information source.[1] Television is, therefore, the primary and most effective tool employed by the political regime to influence its people. Since the onset of the Ukraine conflict and more hostile relations between Russia and the West, Russia’s main television channels have confounded the world with their ability to convince viewers of stories which are diametrically opposed to those shown in the West. What the Russian viewers see on state-aligned television is strongly shaped by the Kremlin. Particularly during Putin’s third presidential term, news reporting has become more propagandistic

Syracuse University Trust Barometer: A Study of SU Students’ Media Consumption Habits and Trust in News

In order to communicate effectively with a target audience, public relations professionals must understand the news media their intended public consumes and trusts. In recent years, media polls and surveys have shown the trust Americans place in the news media is declining. The purpose of this study is to examine the news media habits of Syracuse University students and the trust students place in news information. This study is based off responses from 254 Syracuse University students who agreed to participate in a voluntary response survey. The seventeen question survey was designed to examine students’ daily news consumption patterns and the levels of trust they placed in a variety of media institutions and spokespeople. The aim of this study is to better understand: which media sources and outlooks SU students viewed, what individuals and spokespeople SU students considered to be the most reliable, how trustworthy SU students considered various news channels and media sources and what role social media played in SU student’s news consumption. Findings indicate that Syracuse University students spend far less time consuming news information each day than do older generations. Results also show that traditional news sources including national newspapers, television broadcast news, and television cable news are the most consumed and trusted among students. Students also tend to place a great deal of trust in academic researchers and traditional company figureheads such as Chief Executive Officers and Chief Financial Officers. This study also examines the ways in which the internet and social media have influenced students’ news consumption. Although most students agree social media has had a positive effect on their ability to consume and share news, most students are still hesitant to trust these mediums as a credible source of news information. Students also indicated a low level of trust in other news mediums that exist purely online, such as blogs. The results expressed in this study can greatly aid public relations practitioners targeting Syracuse University students. By forming a more comprehensive understanding of a public’s news habits and placement of trust, PR practitioners can more effectively pitch stories and plan media campaigns. In the age of the internet, the news landscape is in constant flux and the success of the profession of public relations depends on the ability of practitioners to understand how their intended public is responding to these changes

Who trusts the news media? Exploring the factors shaping trust in the news media in German-speaking Switzerland

Although a decline of trust in the news media can be observed in many countries, in international comparison, Switzerland is still considered one of the countries with a relatively high level of media trust. Nevertheless, knowledge concerning the factors that promote and hinder media trust in Switzerland is still limited. Building on the research on media trust and media scepticism, this study investigates the effects of political orientation, political disenchantment, populist attitudes, and news exposure on media trust. The study uses survey data (N = 1 019, 50% females, 50% males) on the Internet-using population of the German-speaking part of Switzerland, collected in June 2017. Examining media trust by assessing the characteristics of media coverage, two dimensions of trust were revealed: (1) trust in journalistic quality and (2) trust in the independence and impartiality of media coverage about political issues. Overall, the results demonstrate that the level of trust concerning these two dimensions is rather low, whereas the level of trust in journalistic quality is slightly higher than trust in the independence and impartiality of media coverage on political issues. Regarding possible explanations, the findings show that political disenchantment and populist attitudes, anti-establishment attitudes, and demand for people’s sovereignty are negatively related to media trust, while belief in the homogeneity of the people is positively related. Moreover, the results reveal that exposure to news via public television in Switzerland is positively associated with trust in journalistic quality, while the use of special news websites is negatively associated with both dimensions of trust. The implications for future research on media trust are discussed

Media Bias Through Facial Expressions on Local Las Vegas Television News Programs: A Visual Content Analysis

Trust in news media has been considered an important base for social order and cohesion in society and is a crucial variable for evaluating news media. Media credibility has been questioned by the audience for some time and the audience\u27s trust in the media has been slowly diminishing over the years. When a news broadcaster communicates a story on local television news, it is possible for his own opinions to leak through nonverbal communication, specifically facial expressions. This thesis explores the six local Las Vegas television news stations\u27 anchors and reporters to visually analyze whether facial characteristics reveal media bias while reporting the news

Media, race, and attitudes toward people on welfare

This research gives insight to why some Americans have negative attitudes toward people on welfare. This study begins by exploring how the construct of race has manifested itself throughout televised news broadcasts and the welfare system in the United States. This research uses a combination of content analysis, secondary research and American National Election Survey Data analysis to explain the relationship between the media and support for welfare programs. The study investigates three main hypotheses: H1: Blacks are overrepresented as perpetrators of crime in televised news broadcasts compared to the actual number of crimes committed by Blacks, H2: As trust in the media increases, favorable attitudes toward people on welfare decrease, H3: As negative attitudes toward Blacks and Hispanics increase, favorable attitudes toward people on welfare decrease. The research found that when the proportion of Blacks shown on television as perpetrators of crime is compared to the proportion of Blacks who actually commit crimes, television is representative of reality. However, television generally distorts the proportion of crime to focus on violent crime when, in reality, most crime is nonviolent. The relationship between trust in the media and attitudes toward people on welfare was found to be significant, but in the opposite direction than hypothesized. In addition, significant relationships in the hypothesized direction were found to exist between both attitudes toward Blacks and attitudes toward people on welfare and attitudes toward Hispanics and attitudes toward people on welfare. A regression model suggested that attitudes toward Blacks have more predictive power on attitudes toward people on welfare than either trust in the media or attitudes toward Hispanics