Digital News Media and Citizen Trust: Credibility Indicators in Social Media Content
Yeni Kartika

University of Bengkulu

Abstract

Public trust poses a significant challenge for digital news media amidst the rising tide of information and disinformation on social media. In this context, information credibility is a crucial factor influencing the level of public trust in the media. This study aims to analyze how credibility indicators are constructed within public policy content published on the Detik.com Instagram account-one of Indonesia^s leading digital news outlets. The research focuses on public policy content uploaded between August 1 and August 7, 2026.
A qualitative approach utilizing qualitative content analysis is employed in this study. The data consists of public policy content posts from the Detik.com Instagram account, selected purposively to align with the research focus. The analysis involves identifying and interpreting credibility indicators present in the content, such as the clarity of information sources, the use of data and facts, information balance, transparency in news presentation, and information verification practices. Through this approach, the study seeks to understand how digital news media construct credible narratives within the social media landscape as part of a communication strategy to gain the trust of social media-consuming audiences.
This research is expected to contribute to the fields of digital media studies, digital journalism, and strategic communication, particularly in understanding the relationship between content credibility and efforts to build public trust in the digital era. Furthermore, the findings are intended to provide insights for digital news media managers to develop more credible, transparent, and responsible communication practices on social media in order to maintain public trust.

Keywords: digital news media, citizen trust, media credibility, social media, Instagram.

Topic: Strategic Communication in the Digital Sphere: Cultivating Civic Trust through Data-Driven Approaches (Digital Communication- Public Communication Strategy- Civic Trust)