Affiliation:
1. Jessica F. Sparks is a PhD candidate in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida. T. Franklin Waddell (PhD, Penn State) is an associate professor in the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Florida
Abstract
Despite calls for journalists and media agencies to address a disconnect between news audiences and news prose, content continues to increase in its difficulty to read and comprehend for the masses. While readability is often associated with audience comprehension and engagement, studies have neglected to assess whether readability is a factor in audience assessments of the credibility of content. Using an online experimental design, this study examines whether readability acts as a heuristic that helps news consumers make credibility judgments of news. Results show that readability tends not to be a predictor of credibility perception, regardless of partisanship strength or media use preferences. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.