No Alternatives? The Relationship Between Perceived Media Dependency, Use of Alternative Information Sources, and General Trust in Mass Media

Abstract

This article combines three concepts of communication research — media dependency, trust in mass media, and the use of media and alternative information sources — to answer several research questions: Is there a relationship between individual perception of media dependency and trust in the media? Does use of media or alternative non-media sources correlate with the feeling of being dependent on mass media? And is there an association between use of media or alternative sources and the level of trust in mass media? Based on a representative telephone survey, this study seeks answers to these questions.