New Media Credibility - Blotz Typology

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
New Media Credibility: How

Journalists Can Build Trust
and Believability in Online
and Social Media Channels
Forming A New Online Credibility Model

Timothy Blotz
4/19/2011

New Media Credibility: How Journalists Can Build Trust and Believability in Online and Social
Media Channels.
2

Abstract
The rapid expansion of consumers using social media and seeking news online presents a unique
challenge for journalists and news organizations. The challenge is to not only reach news users in new
channels that are already crowded with information, but to build and maintain their credibility as
trusted and reliable news sources for those very users. If branding is all about reputation, then how
does a journalist craft a reputation for credibility in new media? This study looks at existing research on
trustworthiness and expertise as it relates to source credibility and media credibility. Additionally it uses
primary research conducted in the Minneapolis-St. Paul television market which reveals that todays
news users want to have the ability to comment, contribute, and share the news they view online. The
combined research strongly suggests that journalists can build a reputation as a credible online source
by providing content that is authoritative, authentic, objective, and collaborative. But most important,
this study borrows the most credible attributes of old media channels to form a new model, or typology
of new media credibility that places user collaboration into the centerpiece of the construct. By using
this new model as a guide, journalists and their organizations may be able to achieve new levels of
reputation loyalty from their followers and users.

Theres an old axiom in journalism that a reporter is only as good as his credibility. Recent
research by The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press shows that no more than a third of the
public says it believes most of all of the reporting by 14 major news organizations. (Pew, 2010) In other
words, theres a substantial credibility gap. But as many journalists migrate from old media to new
media, can they maintain their credibility or possibly even grow it?
Internet News Consumption
News consumers have more choices from where to get their news than ever before. Emerging
technologies have expanded not only the channels by which consumers have access to news, but
theyve also expanded the number of outlets and voices. From Guttenbergs first Bible to smart phone
applications, growing technologies have given people access to information, news and opinion at an
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ever expanding rate. Competition among news and media sources is nothing new. (Compaine, 1985)
Many of todays new media technologies offer consumers an array of alternatives to getting news rather
than replacing older technologies and channels. In a marketplace where new media co-exists with old
media the construct of a once powerful mass media is quickly waning. These new technologies have
blurred the boundaries of traditional media formats and content, and are offering new options for
accessing and sharing information and ideas. (Compaine) The fragmentation of mass media channels
means that the news consumer can narrowly focus on getting only the information they choose at a
time and place thats convenient for them.
Perhaps nothing illustrates the rapidly
changing media landscape more than how
consumers are choosing to access news. Until the
rapid expansion of television news programming
in the 1970s, newspapers were the primary
choice for people wanting to learn of community
and world events. Television has long since
surpassed newspapers as a primary source of
news for most Americans, and now brand new research indicates the internet has surpassed
newspapers as well. An extensive study by The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found
that 47% of Americans now get some of their local news from mobile phones or tablet computers. (Pew,
2011) This is a stunning finding considering the relative newness of smart phone technology and that
tablet computers have only been in the consumer market for a year. When a separate Pew study asked
where people got their news three or more days a week, the internet now ranks second only to
televisionand not by much. (Pew, 2011) (Figure 1) Even more revealing is the pace at which news
consumers are turning to the internet. Americans are spending more time consuming news than ever
Figure 1
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before (Pew) but when it comes to platform
choice, the web is dramatically gaining ground
while other platforms are losing. (Figure 2) In
December of 2010, 41% of Americans cited the
internet as the place where they got most of
their news about national and international
issues, up 17% from the year before. (Pew) Of
the major platforms it is the only one to gain audience share; all of the remaining old media channels
lost ground including cable TV--down nearly 14%.
Many news consumers are flocking to
the internet in part because they have
exponentially more channels to use. Web
logs or blogs have become among the more
expansive internet channels. In existence
only since the mid 1990s (The Economist,
2006) these collections of narrative postings,
opinions, and information dockets have built
a major presence on the web. According to
Nielsen there are thousands of new blogs formed each day. (Nielsen, 2011) In fact, as of March 14,
2011, Nielsen identified more than 157 Million blogs of which more than 80,000 new blog pages were
created in the past 24-hours. During that same time frame, people posted 1.3 million blog entries.
(Nielsen) The real-time tracking graph on BlogPulse.com (Figure 3) shows most of the blog posts (about
30%) consist of personal diaries while the remaining posts are left to news, sports, politics, and pop-
culture.
Figure 2
Figure 3
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Twitter is also an increasingly popular online channel. The micro-blogging site allows the user to
send a message, or Tweet, of 140 characters or less. Since Twitter was introduced in 2006, it has
attracted a mass user base that is rapidly expanding. By Twitters own account it now has 175 million
registered users with 95 million Tweets a day. (Twitter, 2011) The math works down to about 1,099
Tweets every second.
Facebook is by far the most prolific. As of early 2011 it reports more than 500 million active
users, half of whom log onto the social networking site every day. (Facebook, 2011) The draw to
Facebook is the opportunity to connect and interact with Friends. But often times that relationship
involves the sharing of news. In fact Facebook, Twitter, and blogs are at the center of the story for how
peoples relationship to the news is changing. Extensive research by Pew Internet has revealed new
insights into the relationship and usage. (Pew, 2010) The phone survey of 2,259 adults showed that the
consumers experience with news, especially on the internet is becoming a shared social experience
where people swap links, post stories on
their Facebook page, highlight stories in
their Tweets and participate in discussion
threads. For instance, 72% of the news
consumer cohort in the study said one
reason why they search for news is because
they enjoyed talking about it with family,
friends, and colleagues. (Pew) In other
words, its become their water cooler
connection. A quarter of all internet users
Figure 4
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say theyve commented on an online story, 17% more posted news links on their Facebook page.
(Pew)(Figure 4)
These findings by Pew
substantially mirror primary research
results conducted in the Minneapolis-
St. Paul television market among
news consumers who engage online
with KMSP-TV/Fox 9 News. In an
online survey of 1116 respondents
about their social media usage, two-
thirds (66%) say they use social media
to get news. (Blotz, 2011)(Figure 5)
Nearly half (46%) indicated they use social media to connect with online news organizations. More than
half (57%) said they use social media to share news online. When questioned about the relationship
theyd expect to get if they liked Fox 9 on Facebook or followed Fox 9 on Twitter, 73% either
somewhat or strongly agreed that they wanted to comment or contribute to Fox 9 news programs.
(Blotz)
Because online news users tend to engage with stories that interest them, its perhaps no
surprise that the stories which gain traction in social media differ substantially from those that lead in
the mainstream press. (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2010) The project for Excellence in
Journalism tracked blogs, Twitter, and YouTube for 29 weeks in 2010 and discovered that all three
channels shared the same top story only once. That week was June 15-19 when all three followed the
Iranian elections. (PEJ) The Project made some significant discoveries:
66%
46%
57%
73%
Get News Connect With
News
Organizations
Share News
Online
Comment on
News Stories
KMSP-TV/Fox 9 Social Media
Survey
Figure 5
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Social media and the mainstream press pursue different agendas. Blogs shared the
same lead story with the traditional media in just 13 of the 49 weeks studied.
Twitter was even lessjust 4 of the 29 weeks studied.

Stories that gain traction in social media do so quickly, often within hours of the
intial report. They leave quickly as well. Just 5% of the top five stories on Twitter
remained among the top five the following week. This was true for 13% of the
stories in blogs. In the mainstream press, 50% of the top five stories remained the
top stories one week later.

Blogs rely heavily on the mainstream press. More than 99% of the storeis linked to
in blogs came from legacy newspapers and broadcast networks. (PEJ)

Each of these social media channels also seem to have their own personality and function.
Bloggers tend to gravitate toward political issues that eilicit emotion, or concern individual or group
rights. (PEJ) Twitters short messaging structure focuses on passing along important information or
breaking information in a way that assumes a shared value within the community. Facebook allows the
user to comment on their friends status and share links to news stories and websites. Users of
YouTube dont often add comments but instead take part by selecting from millions of videos and
sharing them with their friends. (PEJ)
This rich and increasingly expanding marketplace of digital channels poses a crucial question for
journalists . As the consumer engages with more news through these channels, how can journalists
themselves maintain their individual brands and reputations? Equally as important, how can the
consumer know that the online news theyre reading is trustworthy? Both form the heart of this
studys central research question:
R-1: How can journalists maintain credibility in online media platforms?
Yale University Pychologist Carl Hovland laid much of the foundation for credibility and
trustworthiness with his Yale studies in the early 1950s. Hovland performed a number of experiments
to prove that credibility was directly related to trustiworthiness. (Hovland & Weiss, 1951) Hovland
established the notion of source credibility; the believability of a message and the power to change
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opinion is directly related to the trustworthiness and expertise of the source. (Hovland & Weiss) In his
experiment he gave two groups identical articlesone purportedly written by a highly trustworthy
source, the other by an untrusworthy source. Even though the artricles were eactly the same, the
group which read from the trustworhty source considered it more credible. Therefore, the more
trustworthy or expert a source, the more believeable the message. (Hovland & Weiss) Many scholars
have tested and expanded upon Hovlands research , among them Jack Whitehead who added
dynamism and objectivity to the dimensions of source credibility. (Whitehead, 1969) Dynamism
specifically relates to speakers and their ability to be energetic, bold, decisive and proud. Objectivity
also added to source credibility if the person is percieved as open-minded and impartial. (Whitehead)
Further research concluded that likeability tends to swamp expertise. (McGinnies & Ward, 1980) Elliott
McGinnies research among 1055 subjects in four countries reconfirmed Hovlands theory of
trustworthiness and expertise, however McGinnies discovered a trustworthy source was more
persuasive whether or not he was an expert. (McGinnies & Ward) In an extensive review of source
credibility research, Chanthika Pornpitakpan concludes, Almost all of the main effect findings suggest
that a high-credibility source is more persuasive than is a low-credibility source in both changing
attitudes and gaining behavioral compliance. (Pornpitakpan, 2004)
The research implications for the journalist are clear. To be percieved as a credible source, the
journalist needs to be seen by his audience as knowledgeable, trustworthy, articulate and impartial. To
be sure, a good deal of a journalists credibility is derived from the news organization he works for.
(Kang, Keunmin, & Shaoke, 2009) News organizations are brands in and of themselves. When someone
reads an article from the New York Times or views and internet posting from the BBC it is percieved to
be more trustworth than an article from The National Enquirer. (Kang, Keunmin, & Shaoke) (Hayes,
2007) They market information to consumers who chose them over other news competitors based
upon loyalties, reputation, and especially credibility. (Gunther, 1988) In an era where the internet has
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made news a free commodity, journalists more than ever before have to rely on creating and protecting
their own credibility to build and grow an audience.
Arthur Hayes argues that journalists earn their trust through regularly providing information
that is credible. (Hayes) Hayes builds a credibility construct for journalists that focuses on three broad
values: authenticity, accountability, and autonomy. But journalists can only earn credibility if their
readers or users grant it. Therefore Hayes assembles a list of ten questions for news consumers to
critically elaborate upon.
1. Do I want news and opinion that exclusively agrees with my opinion?
2. Do I want news mixed with opinion?
3. Do I care whether news and opinion are clearly distinguished from one another?
4. Does my source of information facilitate public discourse?
5. Does this source break news itself or merely aggregate?
6. Are some articles based on first-hand observations rather than secondary
sourcing?
7. Is my source of news transparent?
8. Are the sources used in articles clearly identified?
9. Are all sides asked to comment within an article?
10. Are errors corrected promptly and prominently?
If the news consumers answer to questions 1 & 2 is yes and the answer is no to question 3,
then Hayes argues the consumer should have at itthere are plenty of opinionated and partisan
websites and blogs for people to choose from. There is also a growing body of research to suggest that
these opinionated stories and blogs have little credibility. (Meyer, Marchionni, & Thorson, 2010)
(MacKay & Wilson, 2007) Hans Meyer used 140 adults to test four different story constructs: straight
news, collaborative stories, opinionated stories and blogs. His results showed that opinionated stories
and blogs lacked credibility and expertise. (Meyer, Marchionni, & Thorson) Even among politically
motivted news consumers there are not sufficient research results to show that online sources are more
credible. (MacKay & Wilson) Hayes argues from a purely ethical positioin that opinionated online
content, including many blogs, lack such journalistic values as verification, objectivity, and disclosure of
personal and political biases to make them anything but credible.
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With regards to question #4, Does my information source facilitate public discourse?, the
consumer needs to ask whether the story is in the realm of public affairs and enlightens public
knowledge. Likewise, the journalist himself needs to ask the same question of his story. Many times
these lines are blurred. For instance, David Letterman interviewing President Obama on the Late Show
would likely be considered by the Federal Communications Commission as an interview in the public
interest and therefore a bonifide news event. In fact, Howard Sterns radio show, Bill Mahers Politically
Incorrect television show and even Jerry Springer have all qualified for FCC exemptions from the equal
opportunites requirement under the Communications Act of 1934. (Hayes) In producing credible online
content, the journalist needs to be factual, reliable, and original.
Question #5 gets at the heart of why many online news business models have struggled: Does
this source break news itself or merely aggregate? Aggregator sites such as GoogleNews and Yahoo!
simply collect online postings from around the web and package it on a page where consumers can
cherry pick the stories they want. Among online news users, more people log onto GoogleNews and
AOL than any other source56%. (Project for Excellence in Journalism, 2010) Among young users 18-29
the dominance of the aggregators is even higher68%. There are perhaps two points of view. First,
consumers seem to choose the news portals not because theyre credible, but because theyre
convenient. Second, the portals are not choosing stories based upon journalistic credibility, but instead
upon mathematic algorythms. (Hayes) In other words, aggregator sites dont break news or generate
news, they simply collect it from organizations that do generate content. Interestingly, research shows
that the credibility of the news portal is somewhat dependent upon the credibility of the the news
organizations it draws content from. (Kang, Keunmin, & Shaoke) In a study of 238 adults, Hyunin Kang
found that the credibility of a portal sight is positively related to the credibility of a news story posted on
the site and the credibility of the news organization that publihsed it. The implication for the journalist
is that they are the ones who give credibility to the aggregators and not the other way around.
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Question #6 also strikes at the heart of journalistic credibility: Are some articles based on first-
hand observation rather than secondary sourcing? It gets down to whether the writer is an
eyewitness of events, the primary interviewer of a source, or is the writer merely requoting a second or
third hand account of the facts. One of the tenents of journalism is verifying the facts of events that one
doesnt witness or encounter first hand. Those that do, come closer to building their own source
credibility through authencity and accountability. (Hayes) It therefore becomes a critical question for
the consumer to ask when measuring the credibility of a story, especially blogs. Mark Lecesse traced
more than 2000 hypertexts from six widely read blogs and discovered very few primary sources.
(Leccese, 2009) Three liberal blogs consisting of Daily Koss, Talking Points Memo, and Crook and Liars
were examined along with three conservative blogs Michelle Malkin, InstaPundit, and Power Line. The
findings showed less than 15% of all the information which made up these blogs were hyperlinked to
primary sources. Nearly half linked to mainstream media. (Leccese) The research concludes that
political blogs are like newspapers comprised of only op-ed pages that get all of their information from
secondary sources. Largely because of this and the fact that many blogs reflect a high level of opinion,
Meyer discovered in his own research that readers percieved blogs to have a lower expertise level than
that straight news stories and even collaborative stories. (Meyer, Marchionni, & Thorson)
Question #8 address the journalistic core value of atttribution: Are the sources used in the
article clearly identified? Attributing sources and identifying key stakeholders makes for not only a
more transparent news story, but a truthful story. It lets the reader know that the reporter didnt make
up the facts on his own. Use of evidence and citations and source material significanty enhances a
users assesment of the writers credibility. (Metzger, Flanagin, Eyal, Lemus, & Mccann, 2003)
Additionally, more than credibility suffers when theres a lack of transparency and attribution; so does
news clarity. (Rupar, 2006)
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Perhaps the most central of Hayes credibility questions for online journalists and news
consumers alike is question #9: Are all sides asked to comment within an article? This very question
speaks to the key strength of the internet: the ability to allow users to have mulitple conversations with
each other. Its the key asset of what weve come to know on social networking sites such as Facebook
and Twitter. But what makes Facebook so successful is what also makes an online news story more real
and credible to the readerthe ability to comment and participate in the story itself. (Meyer,
Marchionni, & Thorson) The best and brightest in the
pillars of journalism know this. Michael Skoler at the
University of Missouri School of Journalism said as
much recently when he openly scolded fellow
journalists. The old journalism, with its over-reliance
on the same experts and analysts, is out of touch with a
culture of information sharing, connection and
collective wisdom of diverse voices passing along direct
experience, (Skoler, 2009) Skoler clearly sees social
media not only as a way for journalists to build their
credibility with news consumers but as a way to
become relevant in the news marketplace. These
new online technologies allow journalists to transform themselves from being lecturers to instead
create an evolving practice known as converstation jounralism. (Anderson, Dardenne, & Killenberg,
1994) Meyers research shows that people respond positively to being a part of the story. (Meyer,
Marchionni, & Thorson, p. 116) His testing of four different story contructs on 140 people found that
the concept of participatory coorientation struck a middle ground between giving readers what they
need in a story and what they want. Even though the studys participants were not able to set the
Only the savviest of
journalists are using the
[social] networks for the real
value they provide in todays
cultureas ways to
establish relationships with
others. The bright news
organizations and
journalists spend as much
time listening on Twitter as
they do tweeting.
-Michael Skolar
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media agenda themselves, they rated the collaborative story as the model they liked best. (p. 116)
Additionally, the collaborative model scored higher in credibility than did opinionated stories and blogs.
(p. 111) Meyers results make it clear that the most important elements for source and organizational
crebility for journalists is expertise and collaboration.
The primary research conducted for KMSP-TV
supports these already existing studies. Consumers who
use social media indicate they are looking for news and
want to participate in the news. (Blotz) As noted earlier,
fully two thirds of more than a thousand respondents
indicated theyre involved with social media to get
news. The research indicated that online users
specifically like social media because it gives them the
chance to be part of the conversation of news stories. In
fact, when specifically asked if following Fox 9 on any social media platform was a waste of time, 65% of
the respondents disagreed. (Figure 6) Furthermore, nearly half indicated theyd rather follow Fox 9 in
social media as opposed to its website, myfox9.com.
Perhaps the holy grail of the survey is the strong
indication of converting social media followers into
becoming newscast viewers. Measured on a 6-point
Lickert scale, 70% indicated they were likely or
very likely to watch a Fox 9 newscast that day after
reading a news story posting on either Facebook or
Twitter. (Figure 7) Based upon Meyers research, the
Figure 6
Figure 7
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strong implication for KMSP-TV is that there is a teriffic opportunity for both its news department and
individual journalists to build organizaitonal and source credibility by actively partcipating in
collaborative social media platforms.
Together the research allows us to build a proposition for an operational model for journalists
and news organizations.
P-1: Journalists can create online credibility through a triad model based
on layout, content, video, and collaboration.

Hayes core construct on authentictiy, accountability and autonomy combined with Hovlands
theory on source credibility lay a significant foundation for building a new model of online credibility. In
an extensive review of existing credibility research, Miriam Metzger takes it a few steps further.
Metzgers analysis finds significant merit not only relying on source credibility, but on message and
media credibility as well. (Metzger, Flanagin, Eyal, Lemus, & Mccann) While online news is its own new
media communicaitons channel, it borrows basic form and functionalities from old media. In other
words, it takes elements of the written word, design, layout, and video and combines them to form a
new and more accessbile means of communication. Therefore borrowing the most credible elements
from old media and using them in new media platforms can be an effective strategy toward boosting
credibility.
One of the primary elements is web page design. Significant research has indicated that
perceptions of trustworthiness can be influenced by manipulating the graphic layout and colors on a
web page. (Kim & Moon, 1998) Korean scholars Jinwoo Kim and Jae Yun Moon found that graphic
design and layout of the web page title, menu, art and color had a significant effect on perceptions of
trustworthiness. In the end the internet is a technical creation, but visual design plays an important
factor in trust-building. (Chadwick, 2001) Furthermore, if the web page is not user-friendly in terms of
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search capabilities it dramatically affects its perceptions of credibility. (Fogg, 2001) Ease of use both in
terms of visual construct and information utility therefore become an important component of
credibility. In many respects, these mirror the cedible design elements of magazines: visually appealing
layout, colors, graphics and usability.
Of course as this paper has already noted, a secondary element critical to web credibility for
journalists is the very content they produce. As Hovland has established, the journalist himself
becomes a credible source through the trust he builds with an audience by providing accurate and
useful information. But theres also the dimention of message credibility. Metzger found that as
perceptions of message quality increase, so do the assements of source credibility. (p. 303) Other
scholars incluidng Soo Young Rieh note that content and accuracy are key elements people consider
when evaluating online information. (Rieh & Nicholas, 1998) While source credibility was important on
both institutional and individual levels, Rieh discovered that the quality of the source, writing style, and
verifiability also played large roles for users evaluating the credibility of information. (p. 10) Therefore
its not a far reach to establish that the core tenents of print journalism, especially newspapers, transfer
well into the online environment for building an essential component of a new online credibility model.
The use of video anchors the third corner of this new model. One of the most credible aspects
of television is that its a relational medium. People can watch video and immediately judge it as real
and view it through the lens of their own personal experiences. In other words, seeing is believing.
Metzger argues this gives online news sites a measure of extreme crebility. (p. 311) In fact, numerous
studies show the visual elements of television are why people consistently rank it as one of the most
believable mediums. (Wilson & Douglas, 1978) Gunther also notes that the visual nature of television,
especially news, make it appear more objective than newspapers because the greater mediation
exposes the motives and intentions of the communicator or journalist. (Gunther, 1988) Like television,
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online channels can offer currency by giving users up-to-the-minute coverage of events through
streaming video. Therefore, the immediacy, believeability and cognitive connectability of video make it
an important element for a journalists or journalistic organizaitons online presence.
Combining the three crucial elements of credibility, we can therefore create a new model, or
typology of new media credibility based upon the triad of credibility characteristics from old media.
Figure 8

Layout/Design: Easy, appealing and dynamic web page design is more
credible (Borrowed from Magazines)
Content/Context: Complete, multi-sourced, and authoritative information
is more credible (Borrowed from Newspapers)
Video: Seeing is believing (Borrowed from Television)

However, with what we now know about co-orientation and collaboration becoming an
essential component of what users want and view as credible in the online world (Meyer, Marchionni, &
Thorson) (Anderson, Dardenne, & Killenberg) (Skoler) (Blotz), this now becomes a key contruct for
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journalists and their organizations. Therefore, adding the utility of collaboration and shareability to the
center of the new typology gives us a credibility model based upon what truly makes new media unique
from old media.

Figure 9

Using this typology, journalists and news organizations can evaluate the percieved crediblity of
not only their websites, but postings on those websites and in social media. For the purpose of
illustration, lets compare and contrast two online news sites, myfox9.com and the startribune.com.

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Figure 10

Layout/Design: A Mess. Cant find
information/stories. Too much clutter. Interface
is clunky and slow. Credibility: Low
Layout/Design: Better. A lot of information and
advertising clutter, but the interface is reasonably
fast, and very searchable. Credibility: Medium

Content/Context: Source credibility of an
established news organization gives it expertise
and trust. Stories are sourced and readable.
Credibility: High

Content/Context: High source credibility of an
established news organization. Credibility: High

Video: Yes. Although viewers complain the site
doesnt post often enough. Credibility: High

Video: Very limited Credibility: Low

Collaboration/Shareability: Mixed bag. Viewers
can share content through social media channels,
but there is no opportunity to comment and
contribute stories. Credibility: Medium

Collaboration/Shareability: Yes. Readers can
both comment and share on all stories.
Credibility: High

The above evaluation, although subjective in nature, gives the journalist an instructive
heuristic to judge their online content as their users would do. By aligning their websites and content
against the typology they can assess whether their content is viewed as trustworthy, credible, and
believeable.

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Discussion
This study has shown how journalists in the online channels can achieve and maintain
crebibility. Many of the concepts of source credibility developed by Hovland and the Yale studies fifty
years ago still very much apply in the new media landscape. Believability of a message and the power to
change opinion is still directly related to the trustworthiness and expertise of the source. (Hovland &
Weiss) Additionally, what largely gives a journalist credibility from information accuracy to
comprehensiveness and currency are largely transferable from channel to channel. (Metzger, Flanagin,
Eyal, Lemus, & Mccann) Established news organizaitons have sets of editorial standards, control
practice that allow them to maintain this crediblity. But with so much information available on the
internet, there are few filters and standards for which to judge the free flow of information. As Metzger
notes, the core component of source, message, and medium credibility is now the responsibility of the
user or consumer. (p. 294) Hayes gives that very user a construct toward evaluating credibility through
a series of useful questions to ask while reading an online posting or viewing a website. (Hayes) By
understanding Hayes analysis, journalists can therefore provide a high level of credibility by essentially
communicating or providing content in a way that measures up to the analysis that consumer should be
using.
But most important, Metzgers analysis of various measures of old media credibility combined
with new media research by Meyer gives us the opportunity to create a new model for evaluating online
credibility. This new model is a three part typology based upon webpage layout and design, content,
and use of video. But central to the typology is the interactive socialability component that is unique to
web. Without creating the ability for users to comment, share and contribute, journalists posting static
information online are guilty of performing the same one-way communication that consumers are
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increasingly rejecting. By using the typology as a measure, journalists and their organizations can better
evaluate whether theyre providing information that their users will view as credible, believable and
useful.
Still, online communication platforms are dynamic and constantly changing. As more consumers
access the internet via mobile devices (Pew, 2011)it will inherently change how they interact with
information. Equally as important, it may change the context of how they define credibility. As more
consumers access facebook and get used to 140 character Twitter messages, will they any longer have
the appitite or attention span for long format stories? For instance, long format news articles have
already become frustratingly difficult to consume on a smart phone thereby having a negative effect on
both the source and medium credibility. The same is true for large video files that wont download onto
a mobile device. Likewise for a website not optimised for mobile use. Therefore, a new area of
credibility research needs to closely follow consumer trends and technologies. With the emergence of
the new category of mobile tablet computing, the field is wide open for new discoveries on what forms
of news and information consumers will use on these platforms and how they view them as credible.

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