The social construction of media trust: An exploratory study in underserved communities

Abstract

Trust in the news media has re-emerged as an important research topic but scholarship often focuses on the narrow question of credibility and overlooks underserved communities. This study explores how people in marginalized communities define trust in their own words. Based on data from focus groups, this article identifies key dimensions of trust and proposes a folk theory of trust in the news media: Trust depends on responsibility, integrity and inclusiveness.