The Construction of Public Trust in AI-Based Information in Digital Media: An Analysis of Audience Perception and Communication Literacy
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Article statistics
In the last 12 months articles were viewed 330 times and downloaded 187 times.
View data as a table
| Month | Views | Downloads |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan 2026 | 16 | 9 |
| Feb 2026 | 10 | 5 |
| Mar 2026 | 14 | 4 |
| Apr 2026 | 26 | 15 |
| May 2026 | 23 | 22 |
| Jun 2026 | 48 | 29 |
| Jul 2026 | 37 | 15 |
| Aug 2026 | 41 | 33 |
| Sep 2026 | 31 | 23 |
| Oct 2026 | 65 | 18 |
| Nov 2026 | 19 | 14 |
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.
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1464884918757072