The Social Media Comment Section as an Unruly Public Arena: How Comment Reading Erodes Trust in News Media

Abstract

The comment section accompanying news stories on social media offers an important interactive context for news, but may also afford the possibility to spread anti-establishment, trust-eroding comments. Exposure to such comments may affect social media users’ trust in news media. However, evidence of over-time effects is scarce. This study draws upon cultivation theory and uses a three-wave panel survey in the Netherlands ( N = 906). Findings indicate that increased comment reading at T2 exacerbates and deepens news media mistrust at T3, suggesting that exposure to the comment section accompanying news stories posted on social media indeed has negative ramifications for news media trust. News media seem to be closing off their own comment section and delegating commenting to social media in part to create a buffer between themselves and trust-eroding comments. Our findings suggest this buffer is not as solid as news media might hope.