“Free but unreliable”: Research on Trust in Social Media

“Trust in Social Media” Research conducted by INGEV TAM in collaboration with Istanbul Bilgi University Faculty of Communication has been concluded. The most appropriate definition that can be attributed to social media is “free but unreliable”.

While 56% of society define social media as a “free news source”, 61% think that social media is “full of fake accounts”. The research also points to a “post-truth era” and the reality of an “echo chamber”; one third of the society trust the news on social media if it is compatible with their own opinions.

We also observe the low level of trust in media overall; those who say they trust the traditional and digital media as a source of information do not even reach 40%. However, traditional media tools are one step ahead of social media within Turkish society in terms of trust. This however mostly stems from lack of familiarity with digital tools prevalent in the lower income groups with limited internet access.

Only one out of every four people in Turkey is an “active” user in social media. The fact that the majority consists of passive users means a vocal minority sets the tone in the social media environment in Turkey. A significant majority of society uses social media to “get” and “verify” information.

To read the white paper written by Prof. Halil Nalçaoğlu.

For questions and information, please contact can.cakir@ingev.org

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