In the context of mediated public trust in science, the project examines the perception and relevance of trust cues (i.e., trust-relevant information about scientists) in media content. For this, online focus groups were conducted.
Media mediate public trust in science through so-called trust cues, that is, information provided in science-related media content. These trust cues primarily refer to scientists as main actors in media coverage and convey information about their expertise, integrity, benevolence, transparency, and dialogue. In doing so, they provide reasons why scientists may potentially be trusted.
Research on trust cues has so far focused on their identification in media content, comparisons of their use across different types of media, and their effects on trust in science over time. The perspectives of publics, however, have largely been neglected. To address this gap, this project conducted online focus groups to include segments of public audiences and to examine the perception and relevance of trust cues. In addition, gender differences in the perception of trust cues were explored.
The results show that while trust cues related to expertise and integrity were particularly important for most participants’ trust in scientists, perceptions and assessments of the relevance of trust cues vary considerably across individuals.
Trust in sceince | Trust cues in media content | Gender differences in science communication
Professor, Vice Director
Science communication and journalism • Risk and crisis communication • Trust research
Academic Staff
Science Communication • Trust in Science • Multimodal Communication • Gender in the Context of Science
Professor, Vice Director
Science communication and journalism • Risk and crisis communication • Trust research
Academic Staff
Science Communication • Trust in Science • Multimodal Communication • Gender in the Context of Science
The project includes several research projects within LMU.