Trust in News Sources and News Verification Patterns among College Students in West Bengal

This quantitative study examines trust in news sources and news verification behaviour among college students in West Bengal (N = 516) using a focused subset of a broader survey.Respondents ranked five source types by trust and reported how often they verify news encountered on social media before sharing.Descriptive statistics show a clear credibility hierarchy: traditional media (TV/newspapers/radio) were most trusted (40.7% ranked #1), followed by news websites/apps (15.9%), mobile feeds (13.8%), search engines (8.9%), and social media (6.6%).Verification was widespread: 56% reported always/often verifying social media news, and 86% always/mostly verify before sharing.Exploratory analyses indicated no strong relationship between an individual's trust ranking for social media and their verification frequency, suggesting verification may function as a general habit rather than only a response to low trust.Findings highlight a youth audience that heavily uses digital channels yet anchors credibility in legacy journalism and demonstrates emerging verification norms.Implications include strengthening media literacy and leveraging traditional outlets' trust advantage across digital touchpoint.