Search Engines Are Most Trusted News Source According To Edelman Trust Barometer

Survey: Search Engines Overtake Traditional Media as Most Trusted News Source

March 2, 2015

[google]

For news and information, people around the world now trust search engines such as Google more than traditional media, according to Edelman’s 2015 Trust Barometer.
The agency’s “trust hierarchy” reveals that 64 percent of those surveyed say that search engines are the most credible source for news and information. Sixty-two percent trust traditional media and 53 percent trust “hybrid media” — media sites or blogs that also aggregate news from traditional sources, such as Flipboard, TechMeme and Politico. Forty-eight percent of those surveyed believe that social media is the most trustworthy source of general news and information, while 47 percent think that “owned media” — a brand’s website, blogs, social media channels, email and other marketing platforms — is the most credible.
The gap is most evident among millennials, with 72 percent of people in their 20s and 30s saying they have confidence in news from online search engines, compared to 64 percent trusting traditional media. Sixty-three percent of millennials believe that hybrid media is credible, followed by 59 percent who trust social media and 57 percent who trust owned media.
The results suggest that people are drawn to the convenience of using search engines to find news, and that they perceive search results as comprehensive and objective. Edelman surveyed 27,000 adults in multiple countries about their faith in institutions such as media, government and business. —Greg Beaubien

Lynn Appelbaum
Professor/Director
Advertising/PR program
Department of Media & Communication Arts
The City College of New York
160 Convent Avenue  S 472A
NY, NY 10031
phone: 212 650 6561
lappelbaum@ccny.cuny.edu