Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice.
A healthy democracy requires trust that people can be impartial in important truth-seeking institutions including journalism, justice, and science. Recently some U.S. elites have adopted alarmingly extreme rhetoric against truth-seekers, denouncing mainstream journalism as fake news, criminal invest...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251284 |
| _version_ | 1818966754807775232 |
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| author | Raymond J Pingree Martina Santia Kirill Bryanov Brian K Watson |
| author_facet | Raymond J Pingree Martina Santia Kirill Bryanov Brian K Watson |
| author_sort | Raymond J Pingree |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | A healthy democracy requires trust that people can be impartial in important truth-seeking institutions including journalism, justice, and science. Recently some U.S. elites have adopted alarmingly extreme rhetoric against truth-seekers, denouncing mainstream journalism as fake news, criminal investigations as partisan witch-hunts, climate science as a hoax, and career civil servants as a deep state conspiracy. In response, some news organizations have taken the unusual step of publishing op/eds defending these institutions. Two experiments tested effects of such op/eds. In study 1, participants spent twelve days using a purpose-built news portal containing real, timely news with random assignment to the availability of real, timely op/eds defending impartiality of truth-seekers. These op/eds increased trust in truth-seeking institutions and increased the belief that people can serve as impartial professionals. Study 2 replicated this with a laboratory experiment assigning video op/ed exposure instead of text op/ed availability while adding several outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:37:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5b2430b4dfbd45d2886861f4f9aea367 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T13:37:56Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-5b2430b4dfbd45d2886861f4f9aea3672022-12-21T19:38:52ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01165e025128410.1371/journal.pone.0251284Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice.Raymond J PingreeMartina SantiaKirill BryanovBrian K WatsonA healthy democracy requires trust that people can be impartial in important truth-seeking institutions including journalism, justice, and science. Recently some U.S. elites have adopted alarmingly extreme rhetoric against truth-seekers, denouncing mainstream journalism as fake news, criminal investigations as partisan witch-hunts, climate science as a hoax, and career civil servants as a deep state conspiracy. In response, some news organizations have taken the unusual step of publishing op/eds defending these institutions. Two experiments tested effects of such op/eds. In study 1, participants spent twelve days using a purpose-built news portal containing real, timely news with random assignment to the availability of real, timely op/eds defending impartiality of truth-seekers. These op/eds increased trust in truth-seeking institutions and increased the belief that people can serve as impartial professionals. Study 2 replicated this with a laboratory experiment assigning video op/ed exposure instead of text op/ed availability while adding several outcomes.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251284 |
| spellingShingle | Raymond J Pingree Martina Santia Kirill Bryanov Brian K Watson Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice. PLoS ONE |
| title | Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice. |
| title_full | Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice. |
| title_fullStr | Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice. |
| title_short | Restoring trust in truth-seekers: Effects of op/eds defending journalism and justice. |
| title_sort | restoring trust in truth seekers effects of op eds defending journalism and justice |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251284 |
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