Using methodological triangulation across five studies, the dissertation examines how public trust in science is mediated through so-called Trust Cues in media content. The analysis focuses on both the media content perspective and the audience perspective.
Scientific information frequently serves as a basis for individual and collective decision-making. Most people do not encounter science directly but primarily indirectly through the media. In this context, trust in science is a central prerequisite to engage with scientific information. This trust is mediated by media and their content, positioning media as intermediaries of trust that mediate trust between a subject (in this case, publics) and an object of trust (in this case, science).
This dissertation systematically examines how trust in science is mediated through media content about science. To this end, it develops the concept of so-called Trust Cues, which convey information about scientific actors and are used by public audiences as a basis for evaluation. The dissertation is based on five individual publications that address both media content and audience perspectives. Specifically, it identifies and compares Trust Cues in media content about science, examines differences in their reference to female and male scientists, analyzes their effects on changes in trust, and assesses their perception and relevance from the perspective of publics. The findings culminate in a Model of Mediated Public Trust in Science Evaluations.
Overall, the dissertation contributes to research in the field of science communication by enabling a more nuanced understanding of the concept of mediated public trust in science.
This dissertation was conducted within the DFG-funded project TruSDi and submitted to the University of Hamburg.
Trust Research | Mediated Trust in Science | Epistemic Trust
Academic Staff
Science Communication • Trust in Science • Multimodal Communication • Gender in the Context of Science
The project includes several research projects within LMU.