Automating Distrust? How Concerns About Algorithmic News Curation Influence News Use and Trust

Algorithms are now an important part of news curation, but questions remain about how news audiences perceive algorithms and whether those perceptions are associated with more general news attitudes and behaviors. Using a survey (N = 1,800) with a diverse sample of adults in the United States, this study first examined the demographic, political, and behavioral predictors of familiarity with and concern about news algorithms. Second, it tested the impact of familiarity with and concern for algorithmic influence on use of and trust in different curators and creators of the news. Results highlight important demographic differences regarding a basic understanding and concern for algorithms' influence online. More importantly, people who were more concerned about news algorithms were more likely to avoid news from systems that utilize algorithms (e.g. search, news apps). Further, concerns about news algorithms were also related to a general decrease in trust for traditional sources of the news, including mainstream media and journalists. The findings suggest that concern about news algorithms may limit certain types of news use and generate a larger sense of distrust in those who curate and create the news.