Factors influencing trust in media: exploring the association between media consumption and news about the 15M Movement

Debate over consumer trust in traditional media has intensified due to the appearance of networked social movements, particularly considering media coverage of the protests, the emergence of alternative media and social media as information sources. A survey was created for this study to provide insight into the association between media exposure, trust and political participation in networked social movements, specifically among 15M Movement activists. Data is presented to show to what extent to 15M activists view traditional and alternative media as trustworthy. The article also looks at the causes of trust and mistrust in those media.

Results indicate that politically-interested online users placed more trust in information disseminated by alternative media than by conventional media. Furthermore, exposure to social media is associated with trust in media, while age and gender are not. This means that the increased use of alternative and social media involves a decreased trust in information provided by traditional media. Instead, those who do not use social media and those who use traditional media are those who trusted mass media the most.

and to mobilize citizens.