FACTORS INFLUENCING PERCEPTION OF MEDIA CREDIBILITY IN SLOVAKIA

The media credibility construct is a complex and multidimensional concept. Source, receiver and message they all interact in the assessment of credibility of media. It is clear that information providers should pay attention to aspects of the source of the information if they want to ensure that users see their information as credible and therefore useful. It is also evident that the medium of delivery has an impact on credibility assessment. Audience characteristics are also important: audiences that are already receptive to a message will be more likely to view the information as credible. In this study, we are shifting away from the properties of the source and the message and focusing on the properties of the audience. A survey with 560 respondents was conducted to determine the factors influencing media credibility in Slovakia in terms of gender, income, age and education. The results suggest general moderate credibility of the media in all key demographic and socioeconomic groups. Slovaks viewed media as unfair with relatively low level of trustworthiness and easy to be manipulated. The strongest attributes of media are the presentation and ability to act fast. Perception of credibility varies somewhat by age, education, and gender. Older consumers have the most confidence in media across all the age groups, Slovaks with higher education have lower confidence in media compared to those with less education and women in general perceive higher trust in media. Communication professionals have been facing various challenges and one of them is how to win the audience. Past studies suggest that credibility could be the key. Therefore, credibility can be suggested as one of the key factors driving the traffic of individuals to certain media.