Credibility in journalism: a new approach

Abstract

This article proposes an understanding of the concept of credibility from the fields of journalism, philosophy, specifically the Theory of Knowledge, and the discourse studies. Journalistic credibility is defined here as an epistemic predicate attributed to enunciator and their reports. This assignment is made by someone, in an intersubjective relationship, and supported by ethical and moral values. By only gaining meaning and relevance through a perception about the other, we propose a new approach to the concept, through two-dimensional distinction: the constituted credibility of the enunciator and the perceived credibility by the interlocutor. The understanding that credibility unfolds in these two dimensions allows qualifying the application of the concept in empirical researches.