ProjectINFOTRUST
From echo chambers to engagement – understanding trust in media
Promoting Democratic Engagement by Understanding the Dynamics of Information Selection and Processing across High and Low Media-Trust National Contexts (INFOTRUST)
Understanding how citizens respond to challenging information is vital for a robust democracy. However, existing research on this topic has predominantly concentrated on the US, where public trust in the media is low. The MSCA-funded INFOTRUST project addressed this gap by conducting cross-national experiments across Europe, Asia and North America.
Project impact
How do you respond to news that challenges your beliefs? In an era where digital technology creates polarisation and echo chambers, knowing how people react to different types of information is vital to understanding how we engage with democratic politics. But most of the research in this area focuses on the US, where public trust in the media is relatively low. In the INFOTRUST project, Dr. Ling Liu and Prof. Markus Wagner are broadening the scope by studying how people engage with challenging information in countries beyond the United States that differ in levels of trust in media. The two researchers are studying how the level of trust in media affects the way people process information that clashes with their own preconceptions. The researchers aim to provide a stronger evidence base for future research, as well as practical strategies for activists, policymakers, journalists and citizens to promote more informed public participation in decision-making.
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Coordinator
Austria
Universität Wien
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Participating and partners countries