Audience expectations and trust in online journalism

Abstract

Audience trust towards journalism gives meaning to the work of journalists. Yet this trust is in decline, which is threatening both media businesses and the society at large. This development is the worrisome but still natural result of trust’s intrinsic qualities. Trust is context-dependent: different situations evoke different expectations, the fulfilment of which defines what is “worthy of trust”. Changes to the journalistic environment shift audience expectations and thus disrupt the existing trust. The Internet and the introduction of online journalism are major drivers of such change. In light of these changes we can ask: what does the audience expect from online journalism? This article explores the question using experimental focus-group interviews with young Finnish adults (aged 18–28; n = 34). The results suggest this audience segment has very traditional, even puritan ideals for journalism – and that Finnish online journalism is not always able to meet the audience’s expectations.