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Trust in Anonymous News? How Users Navigate Political News Channels on Russian Telegram

Author

Listed:
  • Anna Litvinenko

    (Institute for Media and Communication Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany)

  • Anna Smoliarova

    (DAAD Center for German Studies, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190500, Israel)

Abstract

The paper explores the phenomenon of anonymous news channels on Russian Telegram, which have become increasingly popular in recent years. Drawing on 25 self-confrontation interviews, we answer the following questions: Do users trust anonymous news? If not, why do they keep using this information source? How does a restrictive socio-political context influence users’ trust in alternative news sources? Our results show that, in Russia, the concept of trust is linked to the normative democratic understanding of journalistic functions. At the same time, many users believe that trust in media is not at all necessary and develop individual strategies to navigate a “chaos of narratives”. The paper discusses Telegram’s role in shaping trust or distrust in news.

Suggested Citation

  • Anna Litvinenko & Anna Smoliarova, 2024. "Trust in Anonymous News? How Users Navigate Political News Channels on Russian Telegram," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-14, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:13:y:2024:i:4:p:180-:d:1361576
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