‘Trust the messenger’: Public trust in sources of information on COVID-19

• Ben Seyd ^[1] ; Joseph A. Hamm ^[2] ; Will Jennings ^[3] ; Lawrence McKay ^[3] ; Meridith Anness ^[2]
  1. [1] University of Kent

     University of Kent

     City of Canterbury, Reino Unido

     
  2. [2] Michigan State University

     Michigan State University

     City of East Lansing, Estados Unidos

     
  3. [3] University of Southampton

     University of Southampton

     GB.ENG.M4.24UJ, Reino Unido

     

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• Localización: Parliamentary affairs: A journal of representative politics, ISSN 0031-2290, Vol. 78, Nº 2, 2025, págs. 257-278
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • A key lesson of the coronavirus pandemic was the importance for pro-social behaviour of popular trust in key information sources. Yet existing studies rarely consider the role of people’s trust in a range of different information sources, and the relationship between such trust and particular attitudes and behaviours among individuals. This study goes beyond the general mantra that ‘trust matters’ and explores more specifc effects, relating to trust in particular actors and for particular outcomes. Based on a survey felded on a representative sample of the British population conducted towards the end of the pandemic, we find evidence that people’s coronavirus attitudes and behaviours are particularly related to their trust in scientifc experts and, in some cases, to their trust in local councils. However, trust in these actors is not uniformly associated with people’s coronavirus beliefs and actions. This suggests that the link between people’s trust and their pro-social attitudes and behaviours is often specifc rather than general. The results hold important implications for the design of effective public communication strategies in the event of any future health emergency.