Using and Believing—Exploring Public Trust in Online News Sources in China

This research investigated online news consumption and public trust in online news sources in China. It aims to understand the dynamic relationship between media use and media trust in China, with a contrast between official media and social media. In this study, we measured the frequency of use and credibility of 50 online news sources categorized into five groups and two social media platforms, WeChat/Weibo, with a survey (N = 585). The results indicated people used and trusted each online news source group differently. Social media were used most often and the reliance on official media was less. Habitual use of social media enhanced its credibility; however, official media were trusted the most, followed by news portals. This study advances the literature by identifying the online news consumption pattern in China and examining the public trust in online news sources where the government's control of media extends online. This study reveals how the public perceives the legitimacy of the state via official information systems and how technologically-driven media transformations have produced vibrations among the public. The findings also provide important implications for practitioners to understand the trust structure of online news media and conduct targeted regulation.