How Content Characteristics Of Political Influencers Affect Trust, Message Receptivity, And Civic Participation Among Generation Z

This research explores political communication carried out by digital influencers among Generation Z. The primary objective of this study is to examine how different characteristics of the content shared by political influencers, such as attractiveness, prestige, expertise, informational value and interactivity, affect trust in the influencer and subsequently message receptivity and the intention to engage in social causes promoted by these actors. In addition, the study aims to test the mediating effects of trust, as well as the moderating role of homophily in shaping these relationships. To test the proposed hypotheses, an online questionnaire was administered to individuals belonging to Generation Z, resulting in a sample of 281 participants. Data were analyzed using a structural equation modeling approach. The findings reveal that expertise, prestige, informational value and interactivity positively influence followers’ trust, which emerges as a central variable in the model. Additionally, significant indirect effects were identified, indicating that the impact of content on civic participation is mediated by trust, while higher homophily further reinforces these relationships. This study contributes by integrating, within a single model, content characteristics, trust and participatory behaviors of Generation Z, an approach still underexplored in research on digital political communication.