What's in a Label? Negative Credibility Labels in Partisan News

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Date

2020-10-13

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Publisher

SAGE

Abstract

Concern about partisan audiences blindly following partisan news brands while simultaneously being unable to distinguish the credible news from hoax news dominates media criticism and theoretical inquiries. Companies and media literacy advocates have suggested credibility labels as a solution. This experiment tests the effectiveness of credibility labels at the intersection of partisan news brands and partisan news stories. Using news credibility theory and Partisan Media Opinion hypothesis, it investigates the effects credibility labels have on partisan audiences, partisan news brands, and partisan news stories. It finds that credibility labels may be an effective news literacy tool, and that credibility is enhanced when the news story’s ideological perspective does not match the ideology of the news brand.

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Keywords

Social Sciences, Communication, partisan news, media literacy, cheap and costly talk, news credibility, experiment, SELECTIVE EXPOSURE, MEDIA CREDIBILITY, PERCEPTIONS, INFORMATION, BIAS, CUES, TRUST, MESSAGE, POLARIZATION, SKEPTICISM, 1903 Journalism and Professional Writing, 2001 Communication and Media Studies, Communication & Media Studies

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