"How is Social Trust Formed?*: Focusing on the Evaluation of Journalists, Reliability of News Information, and Interest in Political Society"

Trust in media continues to decline, particularly when media fails to meet public expectations of responsibility. This study investigates the interplay between perceptions of media issues, evaluations of journalists, and trust in news, and their collective impact on social trust. Utilizing data from the 2023 Media Acceptance Survey conducted by the Korea Press Promotion Foundation, the results demonstrate that evaluations of journalists and trust in news mediate the relationship between perceptions of media issues and social trust. Furthermore, the audience's level of interest in political and social affairs moderates the relationship between journalist evaluations and social trust. Conversely, interest in politics does not significantly influence the relationship between trust in news and social trust. These findings highlight the critical need to reinforce trust in contemporary society by enhancing the overall reliability of media and news, and ensuring that media roles are in line with societal expectations.