An anatomy of the credibility of online newspapers
| Published date | 28 September 2010 |
| Date | 28 September 2010 |
| Pages | 669-685 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/14684521011084564 |
| Author | Chung Joo Chung,Hyunjung Kim,Jang Hyun Kim |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
An anatomy of the credibility
of online newspapers
Chung Joo Chung and Hyunjung Kim
Department of Communication,
The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, USA, and
Jang Hyun Kim
Department of Speech Communication, University of Hawaii at Manoa,
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discover the primary components of credibility of three
types of online newspapers and how the credibility of news differs by type.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper participants were recruited at a large north-eastern
US university. All items of credibility scales were measured using seven-point Likert-type scales.
For each of the three credibility scales, the mean was computed and the scales were analysed for
similarities and differences. The scales were factor analysed to determine their underlying dimensions.
Findings – Three factors (expertise, trustworthiness, and attractiveness) were common to the three
types, but the different factor structure of each type was identified. The result of multiple comparisons
shows that the differences between all three types of online newspapers were significant. Also the
summated scores of the mainstream type were the highest on most items. However, the summated
score of the index type of online newspaper was the highest on attractiveness. Overall participants
rated the independent type of online newspapers lowest in credibility.
Research limitations/implications – The limitations and implications of findings are examined in
three dimensions: theoretical implications, implications for the online newspaper industry, and
implications for strategic media use.
Originality/value – The paper divides online newspapers into three categories according to their
characteristics: mainstream, independent, and index type. These three types of online newspapers
were evaluated in terms of credibility structure, which made this study useful and unique.
Keywords Newspapers,Electronic media, United States of America
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Although online newspapers have existed for nearly 30 years, their credibility has not
been systematically examined (Kopper et al., 2000). The skyrocketing readership of
online newspapers may suggest high credibility, however they often have insufficient
factual substantiation, analysis of content, and editorial review. In addition, the
presence of biased and misleading information calls the internet’s credibility into
question (Newhagen and Levy, 1998; Tucher, 1997).
Since the mid-1990s, some scholars have focused on defining the credibility of online
newspapers, analysing the factors involved and discussing ways to evaluate the
credibility. Searching the key markers for credibility of information online has not been
successful in spite of the existence of numerous studies on the credibility of media
(Wathen and Burkell, 2002). Most credibility studies of online newspapers weigh their
credibility against that of traditional media, and the range of internet newspapers
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Credibility
of online
newspapers
669
Refereed article received
16 May 2009
Approved for publication
21 September 2009
Online Information Review
Vol. 34 No. 5, 2010
pp. 669-685
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/14684521011084564
studied is usually restricted to the second distribution of major printed newspapers
(Flanagin and Metzger, 2001; Johnson and Kaye, 1998; Kim and Johnson, 2005; Kiousis,
2001; Newhagen and Nass, 1989; Park, 2005; Schweiger, 2000). To be brief, extant
studies failed to distinguish different types of online newspapers, and there are
conflicting opinions on their credibility.
The purposes of the current study are to discover the primary components of the
credibility of online newspapers and how the credibility of news differs according to
the type of online newspaper. Thus, this study divides online newspapers into three
categories by their characteristics:
(1) Mainstream. The most widespread form of online news, which basically offers a
second distribution of printed newspapers.
(2) Independent. The production and distribution of news on a media outlet’s online
site only.
(3) Index. Online search engines or portal internet news services that provide a
collection of the news content of other online newspapers.
These three types encompass most online newspapers. This research should provide a
more comprehensive understanding of the credibility of online newspapers.
This section is followed by a literature review which deals with past studies on the
classification and credibility of online newspapers and generates the research questions.
The “Methods Section” introduces the credibility measures used in this paper.
The “Results Section” explicates the findings of this research and the “Discussion
Section” analyses the implications of the findings. The conclusion summarises this
research and suggests possible future research.
Literature review
Classifying online newspapers
The first online newspaper service in America was the Chicago Tribune’s Chicago
online, launched in 1992 (Carlson, 2007). More online newspapers appeared in the
mid-1990s; since then, they have become increasingly common (Ihlstrom and Akesson,
2004). According to the Newspaper Association of America (2009), which has been
tracking web usage since 2004, 43.6 percent of all internet users visited newspaper web
sites in the first quarter of 2009, reflecting a more than 10 percent increase from 2008.
In most countries, nearly all major newspapers have an online presence and provide
news content on their web sites (Dans, 2000). Although the popularity of online
newspapers is growing rapidly, one of the most crucial factors in their success is their
credibility as regarded by the general public, because the ease of publishing information
online has raised concerns about the credibility of internet news sources (Tucher, 19 97).
As the internet becomes the primary source of information for more and more people, it is
essential to understand how users evaluate the credibility of web sites (Kosinar, 2003).
The internet newspaper can be discussed in two ways:
(1) In terms of the inroads it has made into newsrooms and onto the desktops
of journalists who work for all types of media in terms of computer-assisted
reporting.
(2) In terms of how it has created its own professional type of news work – online
journalism (Deuze, 1999).
OIR
34,5
670
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