Exploring the Audience of Alternative News Media: Trust, Reflexivity, and Political Attitudes in the Czech Republic

ABSTRACTThis study explores the audiences of Czech alternative news media (ANM) and seeks the predictors for its use. It examines the relationship between ANM usage and trust in mainstream media, media reflexivity, political interest, political attitudes that indicate the liberal-conservative divide, and political antagonism. Adopting an audience-centered approach, the study identifies ANM users through their self-identification based on perceived ANM news sources. Additionally, it verifies the robustness of this approach by considering a spectrum of alternative-to-mainstream news sources. The findings reveal that the reception of Czech ANM is associated with lower trust in professional mainstream media and higher political interest. Moreover, self-identification-based measures show links with internet usage and media reflexivity, while the second model found weak effects for one’s attitude to the European Union and political antagonism. The study discusses the differences between the approaches and the implications of both measurements.DisclaimerAs a service to authors and researchers we are providing this version of an accepted manuscript (AM). Copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proofs will be undertaken on this manuscript before final publication of the Version of Record (VoR). During production and pre-press, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal relate to these versions also. Disclosure statementThe authors report there are no competing interests to declare.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Czech Science Foundation under Grant no. GA19-24724S.Notes on contributorsAlena MackováAlena Macková is an assistant professor in the Department of Media Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University. She has a doctoral degree in political science, and she focuses on changes in the new information environment and their consequences for political communication and political behaviour.Lenka Hrbková is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University. She has a doctoral degree in political science and she researches political attitudes and affective polarization.lenka HrbkováLenka Hrbková is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University. She has a doctoral degree in political science and she researches political attitudes and affective polarization.jakub MacekJakub Macek is an associate professor in the Department of Media Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Social Studies at Masaryk University. He has a doctoral degree in media studies and deals with audience research, especially with issues of declining trust in media ad changes in media practices.