Site Effects: How Reliance on Social Media Influences Confidence in the Government and News Media. (April 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Johnson, Thomas J.; Kaye, Barbara K.
• Is Part Of: Social science computer review. Volume 33:Number 2(2015:Apr.)
• Page Start: 127
• Page End: 144
• Publication Date: 2015-04
• Subjects: confidence in government -- confidence in media -- social network sites -- Twitter -- blogs -- YouTube; Social sciences -- Data processing -- Periodicals; Computers -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; Microcomputers -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Micro-ordinateurs -- Périodiques; 300.285
• DOI: 10.1177/0894439314537029
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0894-4393

Abstract

The rise of social media, such as blogs, social network sites, Twitter, and YouTube, encourages hope for renewed confidence in the government and news media because these venues connect users directly to candidates and officeholders. This article indicates that blogs most heavily relied on the type of social media for political information. Moreover, reliance on blogs and YouTube leads to reduced confidence in the presidency, Congress, and the news media, but reliance on social network sites and Twitter leads to higher confidence in these institutions after controlling for strength of party ties, political ideology, political interest, reliance on traditional media, and demographic variables.