I trust my ‘good neighbour’: Why people trust local news

Abstract

Despite growing recognition of the importance of understanding trust in news, few studies have focused specifically on local news. To address this gap, we investigated the reasons underlying trust in local news from an audience perspective. We analysed 5395 open-text responses from an online survey of Australian adults. Using content analysis, we identified eight factors influencing trust in local news. In line with existing news media trust research, factors of journalistic standards and quality, less bias, less agenda-driven, reputation of the news organisation, and relevance at a personal level were considered important. We uncovered factors unique to local news, including local relevance and accountability, local verifiability, and benevolence for the community. These factors were especially important to older audiences and those living in regional areas. Findings highlight the importance of relational trust – trust built on emotional and social bonds between news providers and audiences – in the local news context.