LAWRENCE — New research from the University of Kansas has found the more media literate people are, the more they trust in institutions like government and nonprofits. Further, their social media habits can predict civic engagement.
Across two studies involving more than 1,300 adults in India, researchers examined internet use, media literacy, online behavior and other factors. The goal was to understand how people view institutions such as government, media and libraries, all components of a healthy democracy.
India, one of the world’s most populous countries and largest media markets, has not traditionally been the focus of such research.
“We’re measuring the kind of questions like whether or not people trust those institutions to help them or carry out democratic values,” said Christopher Etheridge, assistant professor of journalism & mass communications at KU and one of the studies’ authors. “We thought, ‘Why can’t we ask these questions in an understudied part of the world?’ Research has shown media literacy and civic engagement are important in Western countries. Does that carry the same weight in other parts of the world?”
For one study, researchers examined Indian citizens’ media literacy and use and how they view social institutions. Respondents were asked to report their trust in democratic institutions such as governments, nonprofits and media outlets, as well as their media consumption habits, online activities and perceptions of their media literacy.
The strongest predictor for trust in social institutions was media literacy. Respondents who felt confident navigating websites, finding information and teaching those skills to others reported the highest levels of social trust.
“The higher that confidence in media literacy was, the higher their confidence was in the government and other organizations to benefit democracies,” Etheridge said. “The more they knew about how the media and technology companies worked, the more they believed they are competent in their community roles.”
Respondents who reported they regularly critically assess the information they get online also had higher rates of institutional trust. Conversely, those who tended to use social media heavily had lower levels of trust in institutions. Researchers examined use of Facebook and WhatsApp, two very popular social media platforms in India. Those who used WhatsApp more tended to have less trust.
“Because of the nature of the platform, we don’t see a lot of government or public institutions getting on it. It can be tough to get your message out that way,” Etheridge said of public use of WhatsApp. “So, we think democratic institutions might be able to make inroads in building trust if they focused there.”
The study, written with Nazra Izhar, a recent doctoral graduate in journalism & mass communications at KU, and Moses Okocha, a master’s in journalism graduate from KU and doctoral student at the University of Georgia, was published in the journal Journalism and Media.
Consistent with previous research, respondents who relied on traditional and online news for community information had higher levels of trust, particularly when they also had strong media literacy skills, the authors wrote.
In the second study, researchers examined the relationship between internet use and community participation.
Community organization increasingly takes place online. Where church bulletins, community groups, book clubs and social activities used to be organized in person or in print, they now happen largely online, often on social media. Those surveyed were asked about their media use, online activity, media literacy and civic engagement, or participation in community events.
Those who said they consume more traditional media had higher levels of civic engagement than those who used more entertainment-based platforms. However, unlike the partner study, media literacy did not positively predict such engagement. Participants were also asked whether they primarily create online content or engage by commenting on and sharing information created by others.
“We wondered if there was one group more engaged than the other, and fascinatingly, we saw they were civically engaged at about the same levels,” Etheridge said. “All types of online users found civic activity important. That tells us it is not necessarily how you engage civically online, just that you do.”
The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Communication.
Motivating the study, India’s leadership has stated civic engagement among its citizenry is a top priority. The study’s findings show that media literacy is important in engaging the populace, but getting people the information they need is not as simple as making sure it is online. Facebook and WhatsApp, two highly popular social media outlets, did not necessarily predict higher civic engagement among those who reported using it frequently.
Making sure people are able to find and evaluate information that is important to them supports the notion that digital literacy is a key skill that should be taught in healthy democracies, Etheridge said. Future research can continue to evaluate how to give people such skills, especially in an age of growing misinformation, disinformation and democratic backsliding.
“People get bombarded by information all day every day. We (the entertainment media, news media, social media platforms and community leaders) are asking them to sort through entertainment, information, personal news about friends and family and more,” Etheridge said. “If democracies are interested in strengthening their relationship with the people, this is more evidence we need to give people the tools to understand important information about their communities.”
Journalism and Media
Survey
People
Media Literacy and Social Capital: Indian Citizens’ Attitudes Toward Media and Established Institutions
21-Jul-2026