International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

Credibility is a central professional value for journalists. For audiences, perceived credibility of the media affects choices of and responses to the news. Scholars and journalists disagree about what constitutes credibility, but agree that it relates primarily to the truthfulness and accuracy of the facts journalists report. Credible journalism is reliable and believable. However, scholars, mostly in the United States, argue that credibility goes beyond believability ( Metzger et al. 2003 ), and demonstrate that it encompasses fairness, lack of bias, →  accuracy , completeness, and trustworthiness ( Meyer 1988 ; →  Bias in the News ; Credibility of Content ; Fairness Doctrine ; Quality of the News ). The broader definitions of credibility describe a relationship between → audiences and journalists, under uncertain conditions, where audiences cannot fully verify the character and intentions of the journalists and the veracity of their reports. Audiences expect that credible journalists will act according to shared norms of honesty and fairness, and expect reading and watching the news to be worthwhile activities. These expectations depend on secular norms such as professionalism, which vary from one place to another. In the United States, for example, credible journalists who live up to the standards of their profession are expected to tell the whole story in a sincere, precise, ... log in or subscribe to read full text