Digital Media Use for News and Institutional Trust

• In Event: Information Technology and Politics; Formal Theory; and American Political Thought Virtual Poster Session
  In Virtual Poster Session: Information Technology and Politics Virtual Poster Session

Abstract

The link between media use, interpersonal communication, and political participation is well established. However, less is known about how digital media use affects trust in democratic political institutions. In this study, I explore the direct and mediated relationship between digital media news use and institutional trust using cross-national data from the most recent version of the World Values Survey. The results of the analysis show a strong negative association between internet news use and institutional trust among established democracies. However, getting news from social media in particular does not have a statistically significant relationship with institutional trust. The results are discussed in the context of sociological and technological trends in democratic societies.

Author

• Matthew Jenkins, Gyeongsang National University