Online Trusted By ‘More Readers Than Editors’

The public places more trust in online journalism than newspaper editors, according to a new survey.

Regarding newspapers and their affiliated websites, a US poll finds that almost one-quarter (24%) of editors trust the print output more than the web coverage, compared to 15% of readers.

The Online Credibility Gap study also shows that 10% of the public trust web reports more than print, while only 3% of editors state this as their opinion.

All this could prompt the question - is there something editors know about online operations that their readers do not?

Less surprisingly, the report also reveals a split between newspaper editors and readers on the issue of posting comments anonymously.

Some 45% of users believe it is a good idea for websites to not require proper names, in comparison to 24% of editors who support this view.

Interestingly, almost one in two (47%) readers says it’s unlikely that they would submit a comment to a website if they had to give their real name.

Compiled by the Donald W Reynolds Journalism Institute and the Associated Press Managing Editors, the report includes responses from over 1,200 daily newspaper editors and 500 readers.

A pdf version of The Online Credibility Gap is available on the APME website, along with an executive summary of the findings.