Conclusion

Le résumé fourni par la source

This concluding chapter provides a few integrative themes across the book. A central theme across the chapters is the transition to a to high-choice information environment, which is characterized by a “paradox of attention” where fragmented news consumption challenges traditional editorial authority. Several of the chapters point out to an “epistemic crisis” where truthful reporting may paradoxically decrease trust among polarized audiences who prioritize ideological truths over verifiable evidence. Taken together, the chapters of this book call for a normative reassessment, suggesting that healthy skepticism is currently more normatively desirable compared to blind trust or corrosive cynicism. A few of the chapters also point to a “trust nexus” – a strong correlation between trust in political institutions and trust in the news media, which is fueled by delegitimizing attacks on media by populist political actors. Given that editorial efforts using transparency and engaged journalism will likely not solve the trust crisis (as evidence reviewed in the book demonstrates), addressing news media trust today is more like restoring a polluted ecosystem; cleaning up the “misinformation pollution” and strategic delegitimation requires not just fixing individual news outlets (the organisms) but also addressing the structural, political, and technological environment (the habitat) that determines whether healthy skeptical trust can actually take root and survive. The chapter ends with a review of what we do not know about media trust and with several takeaways for future research.

Ce résumé expose les affirmations des auteurs. BNTIC ne l’interprète pas comme une validation indépendante des résultats.