Given that the choice between news items offered on the web is left almost entirely up to the user, it remains to be seen what parameters attract readers to one news item rather than another. Numerous studies have demonstrated the impact of psychological factor with respect to the tendency to attribute credibility to certain news items.
Information in the age of the web
+++ A piece of news will be more reliable the more it strengthens or confirms our belief or opinion. +++
Through the phenomenon of so-called Echo Chambers , the internet filters reality, creating a sounding board for our searches, purchases, and preferences: what we see and read is therefore not the result of a shared social relevance, but a reflection of what is of interest to each of us. Suffice it to say that the Google homepage offers each user different search results once they've typed in the term they're looking to explore. This means that browsing rarely yields a glimpse of something radically new, but rather a sort of informational diet built on what's already within our cognitive horizon. In this way, it doesn't expand but rather crystallizes, to the detriment of other, perhaps more important, information, which, however, won't capture our attention because it isn't affected by the rebound effect we're subjected to as a result of our online activity.
+++ A piece of news will gain credibility in our eyes if it is spread by a source that enjoys authority and, above all, our trust. +++
A newspaper, a charismatic opinion leader , a platform we're used to consulting, with which everyone establishes a tacit pact of reliability and transparency that justifies their affection, guarantees the user the truthfulness of the messages it disseminates.
+++ News shared in different environments and by multiple parties will gain greater credibility. +++
The need to fit into one's social group is always relevant, especially when seeking confirmation. If a piece of news is widely believed to be reliable, it will be easier to believe.
+++ If the news is not refuted by any significant source, there is no reason not to believe it is reliable. +++
What has been outlined fits into the cognitive mechanism of the so-called confirmation bias : in a network in which dissonance is not contemplated, the individual constructs his informative and regulatory elements and becomes accustomed to the consolidation of social feelings.
Fact
It goes without saying that even the most accurate reporting method will almost never allow us to arrive at the objective truth of the facts , because those who report, in good faith, like those who read, will do so through their own personal magnifying glass, taking their own positions without, in most cases, having actual knowledge of what happened unless they witnessed it firsthand. Interesting in this regard is the neologism coined by sociologist Bruno Latour , " fatticcio ." Derived from the portmanteau of "fatto," which corresponds to external objectivity, and "feticcio," the product of excessive belief bordering on obsession, and therefore dependent on human will. The term indicates the middle ground between the two extremes, that is, an individual's production that enjoys such widespread credibility that it appears "real" and is considered equivalent to fact. It is not, then, a question of denying the truth but of admitting that it is not completely accessible, aware, at the moment of consuming the news, that its narrative is the result of manipulation . Sometimes, it is done exclusively for the purpose of offering a clear summary of information ; in many cases, the objective is instead to spread something that is clearly far from the truth.
Credibility models
Credibility is always linked to the persistence over time, explanatory power, and modeling ability of a news item. Various research studies on online credibility have led to the formulation of three fundamental theories:
1. Bimodal Model (MJ Metzger)
2. Unimodal Model (Kruglanski and Thompson)
3. Recognition-Interpretation Theory (BJ Fogg)
The first theorization dates back to 2007, when American researcher Metzger argued that judging the credibility of news online relies on a heuristic or systemic process. This model is based on social validation (reputation, adhesion, and coherence) and contextual expectations (evaluation of expectations and persuasive intent).
The second refers to the concepts of authority (author and source) and information quality (high or low). The choice of path depends on the user, who, depending on their expertise, will favor an in-depth evaluation or one based on the attractiveness of the information. Kruglanski and Thompson, already in 1999, considering the existence of less specialized users, had theorized a single model that combined the two processing paths (heuristic and systemic) through syllogistic evaluations, transforming what was learned immediately into a value judgment.
The final model is based on the most intuitive thing that happens when you encounter news on the web: you notice something familiar ( recognition ) and take a stance on it after having explored its characteristics ( interpretation ). Recognition encompasses various parameters such as the reader's cognitive level, interest and emotional involvement, the type of information, and the intended purpose. When the user engages in interpretation, they draw on their knowledge of the topic addressed by the news item, their preconceptions about the topic itself, and the degree to which their environmental, cultural, and expectation background influence their perception of that information. In 2003, after numerous studies, Fogg realized that the judgment of credibility combines an unconscious and a conscious phase to reach a comprehensive understanding.
Fertile ground
All these perspectives highlight that, although there are general guidelines to follow, the perception of credibility is extremely subjective . For this reason, especially in an era dominated by narrative as the construction of truth (storytelling), credibility remains the defining factor in understanding what type of information can be relied upon. In an environment so prone to information confusion, fake news finds fertile ground to proliferate on an often global scale.
Roberta Cricelli
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A silent observer with a voluble pen. She believes that to tell the world with a distinctly poetic vein, one must understand its inner workings. She loves her homeland, Calabria, a land of contradictory beauty.
