Identity Cues Influencing Article Credibility in Sensor-Based Journalism

Sensor-based journalism leverages sensors to collect data for documenting and publishing phenomena, which humans cannot capture directly. However, the credibility of sensor-based articles is still little investigated. Drawing on the heuristic-systematic model of information processing (Chaiken, 1980; Evans, 2008), we conduct a between-group online experiment to examine how displaying different identity cues affects the credibility of sensor-based articles. Data from 233 participants in Germany indicate that displaying contributor jobs enhances social presence perceptions and hence the credibility of an article, while displaying contributor names does not make a difference. Neither media skepticism nor familiarity with sensor-based journalism moderate these effects. We extend prior research on social presence perceptions to sensor-based journalism. To practice, we recommend incorporating contributor jobs in article bylines to strengthen article credibility and ultimately sales. We conclude with several suggestions for future research in the growing field of sensor-based journalism.