پژوهشگاه فرهنگ، هنر و ارتباطات فصلنامه علمی مطالعات فرهنگ - ارتباطات 2008-8760 27 74 2026 06 22 Examining the Relationship between Media Consumption and Institutional Trust in Iran بررسی رابطه بین مصرف رسانه‌ای و اعتماد نهادی در ایران 257 284 238201 10.22083/jccs.2026.543590.4095 FA جواد صادقی جعفری استادیار گروه جامعه‌شناسی، گروه مدیریت فرهنگی و رسانه‌ای‌، دانشکده فرهنگ و ارتباطات، دانشگاه سوره، تهران، ایران (نویسنده مسئول) sadeghi@soore.ac.ir 0000-0002-6402-260X فاطمه رحمانی کارشناسی ارشد علوم ارتباطات، دانشکده فرهنگ و ارتباطات، دانشگاه سوره، تهران، ایران.Cheshmehsevoom@yahoo.com 0009-0005-1344-8079 Journal Article 2025 08 28 Introduction: Media consumption patterns can significantly influence the level of institutional trust. While official domestic media generally aim to construct positive images of institutions and enhance public confidence, foreign media and diverse Persian-language social networks emphasize inefficiency and corruption, transmitting narratives that stand in contrast to the dominant domestic discourse. Drawing on national survey data and integrating sociological and communication perspectives, this study examines the relationship between media consumption and institutional trust in Iran, highlighting variations across age, gender, residential location, and educational subgroups. Method: The research employs secondary analysis using data from the fourth wave of the national survey Measurement of Cultural, Social, and Political Attitudes of the Iranian People, conducted by the Bina Institute between February 18-23, 2021, with a margin of error of approximately 3.5%. The statistical population comprised Iranian citizens aged 15 and above. A quota sampling method was applied, yielding a sample of 1,007 respondents. Reliability and validity of the questionnaire had been confirmed in prior survey waves. - Domestic media consumption: Respondents reported their use of Iranian television, radio, newspapers, news websites, and national messaging platforms for following daily news, coded on a four-point scale (1 = never to 4 = almost always). A mean score was computed across five items. - Foreign media consumption: Respondents reported their use of satellite channels, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Instagram, similarly coded and averaged across four items. - Institutional trust: Derived from satisfaction ratings with 11 institutions (parliament, presidency, police, judiciary, armed forces, Basij, hospitals, automobile industry, etc.), measured on a four-point scale (1 = completely dissatisfied to 4 = completely satisfied). Responses of “no knowledge” were treated as missing data. Findings: Table 1. Correlation between Media Consumption and Institutional Trust Media Type Pearson Correlation Significance Foreign media -0.365 .000 Domestic media +0.114 .001 N = 864 Results confirm the first hypothesis at the 99% confidence level. Foreign media consumption shows a moderate negative correlation with institutional trust (r = -0.365), explaining 13% of variance. Domestic media consumption shows a weak positive correlation (r = .114), explaining only 1.3% of variance. Table 2. Correlation by Educational Level Education Level Domestic Media Foreign Media Below diploma r = .022 (ns) r = -.243*** Diploma/pre-university r = .220*** r = -.225*** University r = .226*** r = -.343*** **p < .001; ns = not significant Foreign media consumption has the strongest negative effect among university-educated respondents, while domestic media consumption shows no effect among those below diploma. Table 3. Correlation by Age Group Age Group Domestic Media Foreign Media 15-24 r = .422*** r = -.060 (ns) 25-34 r = .179* r = -.345*** 35-44 r = .132* r = -.371*** 45-54 r = -.049 (ns) r = -.402*** 55+ r = .024 (ns) r = -.351*** ***p < .001; p < .05; ns = not significant Unexpectedly, foreign media consumption does not significantly reduce trust among the youngest group (15-24), while domestic media consumption has its strongest positive effect in this group. In contrast, for older groups (45+), domestic media consumption shows no positive effect. Table 4. Correlation by Place of Residence Residence Domestic Media Foreign Media Metropolitan areas r = .190** r = -.307*** Other cities r = .176*** r = -.355*** Rural areas r = -.018 (ns) r = -.396*** ***p < .001; *p < .01; ns = not significant Foreign media consumption has the strongest negative effect among rural residents, while domestic media consumption shows the greatest positive effect among metropolitan residents. Discussion: Results indicated that foreign media consumption, with an explanatory power of 13%, exerts a moderate negative effect on institutional trust, whereas domestic media consumption accounts for only 1.3% of the variance and has a weak positive effect. The weak impact of domestic media may reflect lower levels of public trust in these outlets as well as their comparatively limited use. This finding is also likely related to differences in credibility between the two categories of media, and may further be explained by the greater appeal of message formats employed by foreign media, which enhance the persuasiveness of their content. A final observation concerns the unexpected and heterogeneous effects of domestic and foreign media across demographic subgroups (age, education, and place of residence). The most plausible explanation is that, consistent with the uses-and-gratifications theory, the extent and type of foreign media use vary across age groups, while diverse social experiences with institutional performance shape subgroup differences in trust. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that although both domestic and foreign media influence institutional trust, the strength and direction of this effect depend on media type and the demographic characteristics of audiences. نظر به اهمیت اثر رسانه بر مخاطب و ضرورت تقویت سطح اعتماد نهادی، هدف پژوهش پیش‌رو، شناخت رابطۀ بین الگوی مصرف رسانه‌ها با میزان اعتماد نهادی در شهروندان ایران است. روش مقاله تحلیل ثانوی است. در این پژوهش، از بخشی از داده‌های مربوط به پیمایش «سنجش نگرش‌های فرهنگی، اجتماعی و سیاسی مردم ایران (موج چهارم)» که توسط «مؤسسه بینا» در بهمن و اسفند 1399 و با حاشیۀ خطای حدود 5/3 درصد گردآوری‌شده استفاده شده است. جامعۀ آماری، افراد بالای 15 سال در کل کشور (شامل روستاها، شهرهای کوچک و کلان‌شهرها) و نمونۀ آماری 1007 نفر با استفاده از نرم‌افزار spss sampel power است. روش نمونه‌گیری خوشه‌ای و شیوۀ جمع‌آوری داده‌ها استفاده از پرسشنامه‌های تلفنی بوده است. پایایی و روایی پرسش‌نامه در سه موج قبلی پیمایش توسط مجری پیمایش تأیید شده است. یافته‌ها نشان داد میانگین مصرف رسانه‌های خارجی بیشتر از میانگین مصرف رسانه‌های داخلی است. همچنین میانگین اعتماد نهادی به‌طور معنادار بیشتر از میانگین نظری (5/2) است. یافته دیگر نشان می‌دهد شدت رابطۀ بین مصرف رسانه‌های خارجی با کاهش اعتماد نهادی در سطح «متوسط» و شدت رابطۀ میانگین مصرف رسانه‌های داخلی با اعتماد نهادی در سطح «ضعیف» است. میزان رابطۀ بین دو متغیر در زیرگروه‌های جمعیتی متفاوت است. نتیجه پژوهش این است که اثر رسانه‌ها بر سطح اعتماد نهادی تأیید می‌شود درحالی‌که الگوی اثر (شدت و جهت) در دو دسته رسانه، متفاوت است و زیرگروه‌ها اثرپذیری یکسانی از رسانه‌ها در رابطه با سطح اعتماد نهادی ندارند.

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