INFORMATION CREDIBILITY AND ONLINE ENGAGEMENT : A STUDY OF DIGITAL NEWS BRANDS ON INSTAGRAM

• Main Author: Felinadya, Chiara
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/77288
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

With the ever-increasing advancement of technology and the booming digital world, everything now relies on and integrates these two elements. It applies to almost every industry including the news media, which is now predominantly presented on digital platforms, one of which is the popular and widely used Instagram in Indonesia. Many individuals have transitioned from traditional printed news media to digital news media due to the easier, faster, and more accessible access to news, particularly in this current digital era. However, even though these digital news media have the potential to become the primary source of news and information in the digital age, they have yet to establish themselves as the most trusted sources. Based on the preliminary research conducted by the author, there is a gap where 60.4% of individuals do not fully trust and utilize digital news brands on Instagram. Therefore, this research is conducted to study the factors of information credibility as one of the main aspects valued by individuals in a digital news platform, which can enhance online news trust and its impact on the platform usage through online consumer engagement. Using a judgemental sampling method, this research employs a quantitative method to a total of 319 responses distributed to digital news brand followers from Jabodetabek area and Bandung. The study focuses on three digital news brands on Instagram, namely Folkative, USS Feeds, and Narasi Newsroom, as research objects. The research applies various data analysis methods, including normality test, Kruskal-Wallis test, descriptive analysis, and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. The results indicate that the factors of information credibility on digital news brands have an impact on online consumer engagement, mediated through online trust. The findings of this research provide valuable insights for improving consumer engagement through the trustworthiness and credibility of the thriving online news industry.