Public Perception of Gun Violence-Related Headline Accuracy and the Credibility of Media Sources

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.

KEYWORDS:

• Firearms
• Media
• Suicide
• Gun Violence
• Randomization

Disclosure statement

Author MA receives personal income in the form of royalties from a book focused on firearms and suicide. Author MA also receives personal income in the form of speaking and consulting fees related to firearms and suicide.

Data availability statement

Data may be made available upon request.

Notes

1. Primary analyses were also run excluding individuals who reported that they looked up the headlines. Results remained consistent with these individuals excluded such that randomization condition did not predict accuracy; however, perceived source credibility for both the gun violence (F = 491.41, p <.001, _pη2 = .35) and suicide headline (F = 697.82, p <.001, _pη2 = .44).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.