Work

Quotes and credibility: How news post approach shapes news bias and credibility perceptions across party lines

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This study tested how storytelling approaches in a Facebook news post shape perceptions of news credibility. Online experiment participants (n = 921) were randomly assigned to view a post written in one of five styles: quoting only a Republican lawmaker, only a Democratic lawmaker, both partisan lawmakers, contextual information without quotes, or quoting a government official. Results found a partisan hostile media perception where Republicans rated all storytelling approaches as less credible than Democrats.

Source: News Research Journal

DOI: 10.1177/30497841261440467

Authors: Gina M. Masullo, Shuting Yao

Institutions: Center for Media Engagement, The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: Misinformation and Its Impacts

Subfield: Sociology and Political Science

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,400

Funders: John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Moody College of Communication