Online news recommendations credibility: The tie is mightier than the source

Samuel-Azran, Tal and Hayat, Tsahi Online news recommendations credibility: The tie is mightier than the source. Comunicar, 2019, vol. 27, n. 60, pp. 71-80. [Journal article (Paginated)]

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English abstract

In this paper, we wish to examine the perceived credibility of news items shared through Social Networking Sites (SNS) –specifically, as a function of tie strength and perceived credibility of the media source from which the content originated. We utilized a between-subjects design. The Facebook account of each participant (N=217) was analyzed. Based on this analysis, our participants were shown a fictitious Facebook post that was presumably shared by one of their Facebook friends with whom they had either a strong social tie (experiment group), or a weak social tie (control group). All recipients were then asked about their perceptions regarding the news source (from which the item presumably originated), and their perception regarding thecredibility of the presented item. Our findings indicate that the strength of the social tie between the sharer of the item and its recipient mediates the effect of the credibility perception regarding the news source, and the perceived item credibility, as well as the likelihood of searching for additional information regarding the topic presented in the shared item.

Spanish abstract

Se examina en este trabajo la credibilidad percibida de las noticias compartidas a través de los sitios de redes sociales (RRSS), específicamente, en función de la fuerza de enlace y la credibilidad percibida de la fuente de los medios de la cual se originó el contenido. Utilizamos un diseño entre sujetos. Se analizó la cuenta de Facebook de cada participante (N=217). Sobre la base de este análisis, a nuestros participantes se les mostró una publicación ficticia de Facebook que supuestamente fue compartida por uno de sus amigos de Facebook con los que tenían un vínculo social fuerte (grupo experimental) o un vínculo social débil (grupo de control). Luego se les preguntó a todos los destinatarios acerca de sus percepciones con respecto a la fuente de noticias (de la cual se suponía que se originó el artículo), y su percepción con respecto a la credibilidad del artículo presentado. Nuestros hallazgos indican que la fuerza del vínculo social entre el que comparte el elemento y su destinatario media el efecto de la percepción de credibilidad con respecto a la fuente de noticias, y la credibilidad percibida del elemento, así como la posibilidad de buscar información adicional sobre el tema presentado en el elemento compartido.

Item type: Journal article (Paginated)
Keywords: Credibility; social networking sites; social network analysis; news consumption; information search; experiment; quantitative analysis; influence; Credibilidad; redes sociales; análisis de redes sociales; consumo de noticias; búsqueda de información; experimento; análisis cuantitativo; influencia
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BJ. Communication
G. Industry, profession and education.
G. Industry, profession and education. > GH. Education.
Depositing user: Alex Ruiz
Date deposited: 14 Sep 2019 18:36
Last modified: 14 Sep 2019 18:36
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/38793

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