Education

UF study finds passive news consumers trust editors more than algorithms

A new study co-authored by University of Florida advertising professor Yuan Sun found that people who rely on social media to deliver news to them — rather than actively seeking it out — still tend to view professional news editors as more trustworthy than algorithms or social media friends. However, those same passive news consumers are more likely to engage with algorithmically recommended content without carefully evaluating it first, which researchers say may increase the spread of misinformation. The study, conducted with researchers from the University of Georgia and Penn State, was published in the journal Social Media and Society.

Sources: UF News