Understanding the motivational values for the usage of specific online news media and users’ perception of information credibility

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the utilitarian value (UV), hedonic value (HV) and social value (SV) that make people use a certain type of online media website and how the usage of specific online media website impact the way people perceive online information credibility (OIC). A research model was also proposed to explain the essence of this study. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted the survey research methodology to empirically test the research model with 873 research participants from the University of Science and Technology of China and Anhui Medical University. Findings Results from structural equation modeling showed that UV and HV have a significant positive impact on the usage of print news media website (PNMW), usage of broadcast news media website (BNMW) and usage of social networking website (SNW). The SV was also found to have a significant positive impact on the usage of SNWs. The result also indicated that the usage of the PNMW and the usage of the BNMW by online users have a significantly positive impact on high rating of OIC. However, the result showed that the usage of SNW does not have a significant positive impact on the high rating of OIC. Originality/value Findings in this study provided substantial contributions toward the advancement of the uses and gratification theoretical framework by unraveling how certain motivational values can influence online media users’ preferences for specific online media websites, as well as showing how specific online media websites affect online users’ perception of OIC.