Weakened or differentiated? Finns’ trust in news media

The article examines the trust expressed by Finns in news media and journalism through surveys conducted in 2007 and 2019. The aim is to deepen the picture produced by other recent studies on the subject by observing not only the trust directly expressed by the respondents but also the trust expressed indirectly. The latter becomes apparent when respondents assess to what extent the media and journalism satisfy various societal expectations. The aim is also to provide information on the possible segregation of audiences by examining group-specific differences in trust and changes in the differences during the period under review. The analysis shows that citizens’ confidence in the leading national news media is strong on average, but their trust in the news media as an institution is weaker. There was no significant decline in trust during the 2010s, but there are growing differences in attitudes towards the news media, both between individuals and at the group level. Confidence has weakened, especially among the unemployed and workers, while segregation has been strongest between the supporters of the Finns Party and other parliamentary parties. The results of the article are interpreted within a wider debate on growing social segregation and the so-called Nordic media welfare states, where the media system and communication policy have historically taken shape as part of society's broader principles of universalism and welfare.Peer reviewe