Predictors of the Credibility of Social Media as a News Outlet: An Examination of the Influences of Social Media Contacts, Source Perceptions, and Media Use

While U.S. adults increasingly use social media to get news, little is known about how people perceive the credibility of social media as a news distribution channel. This study closes the gap by recognizing the role of social media as a medium that transmits news to audiences, focusing on media credibility. Surveying 532 U.S. social media users, this study found that social media users’ homophily with their contacts, source credibility, trust in alternative news sources, reliance on social media, and frequency of using social media to get news positively predict the perceived credibility of social media as a news medium.