A New Credibility: Identification, Interactivity & Transparency

Brian Carroll & Randy RichardsonBerry College

Standing on shoulders

Hovland, McCroskey Johnson & Kaye Flanagin & Metzger Meyer Burke Brock, Brommet, Crable, Cohen

Traditional dimensions of credibility

ExpertiseAccuracyFairnessAbsence of bias

New paradigm for credibility

Identification (Burke)InteractivityTransparencyRe-voicing of journalism

(The humanity of it all!)

Research Questions

RQ1: Why do readers loyally read their blogs of choice? What does this say about the values or qualities of A-list blogs and their authors that make them credible to their readers?

RQ2: Why do blog readers trust the blogs they read?

Pharyngula http://www.scienceblogs.com/pharyngula

Informed Commenthttp://www.juancole.com

Online Survey

Self-selectedAnonymousNumber of respondents:

Pharyngula: 70Informed Comment: 222

Why do you read Informed Comment?

Expertise >> 107 of 222 respondents (48%)

NOT mainstream media >> propaganda, drivel, political spin, distorted reporting

Absence of bias >> 18 mentionsAccuracy >> 15 mentionsFairness >> 11 mentions

Why do you trust Informed Comment?

Expertise >> 91 of 222 responses (41%)Credentials >> 39 mentionsFairness >> 37 mentionsAbsence of bias >> 17 mentionsAccuracy >> 18 mentions

Why do you read Pharyngula?

11 of 70 cited “expertise”Zeroes for absence of bias, accuracy,

fairness

Why do you trust Pharyngula?

26/70 citing “expertise”Zeroes for other traditional credibility

dimensionsHe cites his sources (transparency)

Emergent dimensions of credibility online

Identification: “His politics agree with mine.” “His judgment echoes my own.”27 overt mentions of ID for Q1, 18 for

Q2 (Cole)13 overt Q1, 11 Q2 (Myers)“common enemy” ID (10 cites of Bush

in Cole; “bastards, bastards”; 20 of 70 for Pharyngula -- 29%)

Emergent dimensions of credibility online -- IdentificationHumanity and Authenticity >> 12

mentions (Cole); “re-voicing”Humor >> 17/70 Pharyngula (24%) Interactivity: A conversation, not a

lecture. Emails returned. Dining out.

Emergent dimensions of credibility online -- IdentificationTransparency: “I was wrong.” “I don’t

know.” “I’ve changed my mind.” “Here are my sources.” (This all relates to accountability and objectivity.)

Humanity: “He cares about the Middle East and has real sympathy for the people living there.”

Navigability and site design

Aristotelian ethos

Back to the futureGood sense (competence, intelligence,

expertise)Good moral character (honesty,

trustworthiness, fairness)Goodwill (compassion, humanity)

Limitations and Future Research

Inter-coder reliability (& Scott’s Pi)Systematic factor analytic approach

using emergent criteria across mediaLongitudinal researchLocus of the transaction

Schemas for media-specific ethos

Legacy Media New(er) MediaTraditionalSmartImperative to informInfor. as a means to democracyMarket economyKnowledge capitalProfessional (editors)Top-down, centralizedFiltered, edited contentFact-checkedPolished, cool, conclusiveAudience as receptorsMass media messagesNon-interactiveAudience as electorateHigh barriers to entry (elitist)LinearPositivist

EmergentSimpleImperative to empowerDemocracy as a means to knowledgeGift economySocial capitalAmateur (readers are editors)Edges-in, de-centralizedUnfiltered, unedited contentTransparentIn-process, engaged, non-conclusiveAudience as participantsMicrocontentInteractive, hyperlinked, hypermediatedAudience as activistsLow barriers to entry (egalitarian)NetworkedPost-modern