Browsing by Author "Boadum, Irene Pomaah"

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Assessing Public Trust in the Media in Ghana
(UniMAC-GIJ, 2020-10) Boadum, Irene Pomaah
Trust has become an important and defining variable in the media. This is because the media depends on audiences trust in them for survival. The public heavily depend on the media for information, education, and entertainment. But what keeps them coming back for more? Is it the media’s excellent programming or it is because the audience trust to deliver quality and unadulterated content? In this paper, we explore the controversial topic and try to examine what keeps the media-audience relationship running. Some say credibility is the same as trust, but other scholars disagree. We discover an interesting twist. The introduction of online mediated platforms has brought with it complex issues especially the rise and spread of fake news, a major challenge that is denting the image of the media and affecting their trust. In this growing resentment, the survival of the media will be determined by how much the public trust them to deliver their mandate. Journalist can build some level of credibility for themselves that may result in the overall trust of the media outlet and media in general. But that may not be enough. The Media must be able to redefine its mandates and who is really qualified to serve the public in the capacity of media work in the media economy although difficult. The paper discusses these issues and tries to push the limits of the discussion to assess the extent to which trust can be the defining factor in the success or failure of the media.