THE RESURGENCE OF TRUST IN TRADITIONAL MEDIA: RETHINKING NEWS CREDIBILITY AND AUDIENCE BEHAVIOUR IN THE AGE OF AI
Keywords:
Traditional media,, Artificial Intelligence,, News credibility, Audience trust, Media consumptionAbstract
This position paper reveals changing patterns of news credibility and audience engagement fuelled by the increase of artificial intelligence (AI) in the media ecosystem. The study highlights the declining popularity of traditional media; the television, radio and even newspaper, in favour of user-centric digital alternatives, as well as the growing wave of trust or confidence in traditional media channels. The findings reveal that the resurgence in trust is attributed to the increase of misinformation produced by AI and people’s uncertainty regarding the content posted on social, alternative media and other digital media outlets. The paper argues that amid re-emerging trust, traditional media must adapt in order to secure its place as the most reliable information and news source in a media landscape increasingly fragmented by digital platforms and AI-generated misinformation. In conclusion, the paper submits that the re-emergence of trust in traditional media is not mere nostalgia, nor is it sustenance automatic, therefore, stakeholders in traditional media must maximise this momentum and reposition the sector as the core source for fact-checking and verifying news from unregulated sources and social platforms by balancing innovative technology with a collective commitment to integrity, transparent practices, and public engagement.
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