Trust and media use in the European Union: socio-media determinants of trust in local and regional authorities

Abstract

Understanding which socio-media factors can impact citizens' trust in local and regional authorities is extremely important in increasingly polarized societies. The present work aims, through the use of Eurobarometer data, with a total of 27,746 participants from the 28 Member States of the European Union, to contribute to a clarification of the role of the media in promoting trust in local and regional institutions. Operationalization involves the implementation of a logistic regression model, which makes it possible to measure the impact of the media and socio-educational determinants on trust in these proximity institutions. The empirical demonstration allowed us to conclude that those who trust and use traditional media tend more likely to trust local and regional authorities. This evidence leads us to the idea that the biggest consumers of digital media should be the focus of public policies aimed at media and digital literacy. The democracy of European societies depends on this struggle.