Citation

Bandel SL, Bond AE, Bryan CJ, Anestis MD. Health Commun. 2022; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/10410236.2022.2037199

PMID

35168464

Abstract

The present study sought to determine the extent to which the message or messenger is more important for news media portrayal of gun violence prevention. Exploratory analyses also examined factors related to Fox News and MSNBC credibility. Participants (N = 3,500) were US adults matched to the 2010 US Census on several demographic variables. Two mock headlines were presented: "Gun violence is result of mental health problems" and "Storing firearms in a safe can help prevent suicides." Headlines were reported to be from either Fox News or MSNBC. Participants then rated accuracy of the headline and credibility of the news source. Headline content did not predict perceived accuracy of the headline. Perceived credibility of the messenger was associated with perceived accuracy for both mock headlines. Exploratory analyses indicated several demographic factors related to Fox News and MSNBC credibility. Regardless of the content of a headline, the degree to which participants perceived it as accurate was associated with how credible they believed the source to be. These findings highlight the importance of credible media portrayal of accurate information on gun violence prevention.

Language: en

Keywords

Firearms; Suicide; Gun Violence; Media; Randomization