Seeing It Through the Eyes of the Victims: How Viewers’ Experiences of Eyewitness Videos in TV News Influence the Trustworthiness of the Reports

• In Event: ICA Interactive paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Paper Session: Information Systems Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

This study is the first to develop and test a theoretical model of the viewers’ experiences of eyewitness videos (EWVs) in TV news reports and the resulting effects on perceived trustworthiness. It builds on qualitative research suggesting that the visual characteristics of EWVs cause specific effects, namely feelings of presence and empathy as well as perceptions of authenticity and bias. By conducting an online experiment (N = 328), we tested whether embedding an eyewitness video in a news report about the Ukraine conflict influences the perception of trustworthiness of the report through these four mediating effects. The results confirm that presence, empathy, and perceived bias serve as mediators. Implications of the results and suggestions for further research are discussed.

Authors

• Annabell Halfmann, U of Mannheim

• Helena Dech, U of Mannheim

• Jana Riemann, U of Mannheim

• Leonie Schlenker, U of Mannheim

• Hartmut Wessler, U Mannheim