Exploring Possible Explanations for the Modest Relationship Between News Media Trust and Use

Despite the widespread assumption that trust in news media drives news use, empirical research consistently finds only a modest correlation between the two. This study investigates possible explanations for the modest relationship between news media trust and use, drawing on recent qualitative insights and testing five hypotheses using a four-wave panel survey of Swedish respondents (N = 3,542). We examine whether outlet-specific trust better predicts news use than generalized media trust, and whether the tendency for selective exposure, news avoidance, news finds me (NFM) perceptions, and conspiracy mindset moderate the trust–exposure relationship. Contrary to expectations, outlet-specific trust did not outperform generalized trust in predicting news use. Selective exposure showed no significant moderating effects. In contrast, news avoidance significantly moderated the relationship, such that the association between news media trust and mainstream news media use was stronger for those reporting low intentions to avoid the news. Stronger associations were also observed for those ranking themselves high on the NFM and conspirancy mindset scales, though these latter interactions became insignificant when entering all interactions to the model simulteneously.