The Construction of Public Trust in AI-Based Information in Digital Media: An Analysis of Audience Perception and Communication Literacy
Keywords:
public trust, artificial intelligence, communication literacyAbstract
This study examines the construction of public trust in artificial intelligence (AI)-based information in digital media through a qualitative approach in the form of a literature review. The study focuses on three main aspects: the mechanism of public trust formation in AI content, the role of audience communication literacy in interpreting and assessing message credibility, and the impact of trust-literacy interactions on the dynamics of contemporary digital communication. Literature findings indicate that audience perceptions of the credibility of AI information are influenced by technological factors, previous media experience, and communication literacy levels, which collectively form a dynamic and heterogeneous trust structure. Communication literacy has been shown to be an important mediator in strengthening audiences' ability to evaluate and verify information, thereby reducing vulnerability to misinformation. The implications of this study emphasize that strengthening communication literacy and transparency in the use of AI by the media are prerequisites for the formation of rational and sustainable trust. The study's conclusions provide conceptual contributions to the development of ethical digital communication strategies and audience capacity building in the AI era.
References
Beckett, C. (2022). Artificial intelligence and journalism: New power, new responsibility. Journalism Practice, 16(2–3), 244–259.
https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2021.1872410
Carlson, M. (2020). Automating judgment? Algorithmic judgment, news knowledge, and journalistic professionalism. New Media & Society, 22(7), 1110–1128.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819896618
Diakopoulos, N., & Koliska, M. (2021). Algorithmic transparency in the news media. Digital Journalism, 9(5), 597–619.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2020.1779039
Jayanti, W. E. & Meilinda, E. (2024). Peran dan Kepercayaan terhadap Artificial Intelligence dalam Peningkatan Kinerja Dosen. Jurnal Pendidikan Tambusai, 8(1), 5111–5117. https://doi.org/10.31004/jptam.v8i1.13170
Jones-Jang, S. M., Mortensen, T., & Liu, J. (2021). Does media literacy help identification of fake news? Information literacy and trust in media. Journal of Media Literacy Education, 13(2), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.23860/JMLE-2021-13-2-1
Kozyreva, A., Lewandowsky, S., & Hertwig, R. (2020). Citizens versus the internet: Confronting digital misinformation. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 21(3), 103–156.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100620946707
Lee, S., & Tandoc, E. C. (2024). When algorithms tell the news: Audience trust and transparency in AI-driven journalism. Journalism Studies, 25(4), 512–529.
https://doi.org/10.1080/1461670X.2023.2262194
Longoni, C., Bonezzi, A., & Morewedge, C. K. (2022). Resistance to medical artificial intelligence. Journal of Consumer Research, 49(3), 629–650.
https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucac027
Maulana, A. O., Herfanda, G. C., & Hasan, F. (2025). Perceived Trustworthiness of Artificial Intelligence Implementation in Indonesia Public Sector Services. Jurnal Akuntansi dan Auditing Indonesia, 26(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.20885/jaai.vol26.iss1.art7
Nefra Firdaus, J., Jumroni, J., Aziz, A., Sumartono, E., & Purwanti, A. (2024). The Influence of Social Media, Misinformation, and Digital Communication Strategies on Public Perception and Trust. The Journal of Academic Science, 1(3), 15–33. https://doi.org/10.59613/x6akpn10
Newman, N., Fletcher, R., Schulz, A., Andı, S., & Nielsen, R. K. (2023). Trust in digital news and the role of platform algorithms. Digital Journalism, 11(6), 878–897.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2023.2193325
Poladia, N. A., Ramadani, P., Utama, S. P., Aulia, F., & Furqan, M. (2025). Analisis Sentimen Masyarakat terhadap Penggunaan Teknologi AI dengan Metode Machine Learning. Jurnal Ilmiah Sistem Informasi dan Ilmu Komputer, 4(2), 132–141. https://doi.org/10.55606/juisik.v4i2.1198
Prasojo, R. (2025). Publik Relation di Era Digital: Pengaruh Teknologi Artificial Intelligence terhadap Praktik Public Relations Modern. Jurnal Multidisiplin Ilmu Akademik, 1(3), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.61722/jmia.v1i3.1397
Prianto, Y., Santoso, A. W., Limputri, E. M., Kristinawati, K., & Lumban Siantar, P. R. (2025). Disinformasi dan Krisis Kepercayaan: Turbulensi Budaya Hukum di Era Post-Truth & Artificial Intelligence. Titian: Jurnal Ilmu Humaniora, 9(2), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.22437/titian.v9i2.48743
Sinclair, V. L. (2025). The Influence of AI-Generated News on Public Trust in Journalism: Evidence from the UK. Journal of Research in Social Sciences and Humanities, 2(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.56397/JRSSH.2025.02.01
Siregar, I. N. D., Hutasuhut, I. U., Hidayat, A. N., & Nizriah, S. (2025). Analisis Trust Architecture dalam Public Relations Digital: Membangun Kepercayaan Publik di Tengah Overload Informasi. IKRAITH-EKONOMIKA, 8(3), 1433–1443. doi: https://doi.org/10.37817/ikraith-ekonomika.v8i3
Sudirjo, F., Nugraha, G., Wahyono, T., Putrianti, F. G., & Buchori, A. (2024). The Influence of Perceived Trust, Information Literacy and Perceived Validity on Netizens’ Perception…. Jurnal Informasi dan Teknologi, 6(1), 36–42. https://doi.org/10.60083/jidt.v6i1.469
Tandoc, E. C., Lim, Z. W., & Ling, R. (2020). Defining “fake news”: A typology of scholarly definitions. Digital Journalism, 8(2), 137–153.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2019.1688166
van der Wurff, R., & Schoenbach, K. (2021). Audience trust in online news: Media brand, credibility cues, and algorithmic mediation. Communications, 46(2), 235–256.
https://doi.org/10.1515/commun-2020-0083
Wölker, A., & Powell, T. E. (2021). Algorithms in the newsroom? News readers’ perceived credibility and selection of automated journalism. Journalism, 22(1), 86–103.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Mufid Mufid
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
