Determinants of Trust in Digital News among the Libyan Public: A Field Study through Social Media Platforms

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the determinants of trust in digital news among the Libyan public in light of the transformations brought by social media platforms in the production, circulation, and consumption of news. The study is based on the assumption that trust in digital news is no longer solely linked to the credibility of traditional sources, but has become a complex cognitive process influenced by source characteristics, content presentation, digital interaction, and the level of audience reliance on social media platforms for news.The study adopted the descriptive analytical method using an electronic questionnaire distributed to a sample of 120 Libyan social media users. Data were analyzed using SPSS through descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis.The results revealed that the level of trust in digital news among the Libyan public was moderate. The findings also showed that official and institutional media sources receive higher levels of trust compared to individual or unverified accounts. In addition, digital interaction indicators such as likes, comments, and shares were found to influence the perception of news credibility. The study further indicated that social media platforms represent a primary source of news for a large segment of the Libyan public.