Date on Honors Thesis

Fall 12-12-2025

Major

Journalism

Minor

Spanish

Examining Committee Member

Maranda Goke, PhD, Advisor

Examining Committee Member

Melony Shemberger

Examining Committee Member

Bellarmine Ezumah, PhD

Abstract/Description

This study examines how Murray State University students in the Journalism and Mass Communications department engage with information and interpersonal trust through the lens of the Two-Step Flow of Communication. Using a quantitative survey, participants reported how they receive and evaluate information across six domains: politics, healthcare, education, international conflict, religion, and campus news. The survey also explored participants’ own perceptions as “opinion leaders” within their social networks. Findings reveal that coworkers, family members, and religious associates were consistently rated as high-trust sources of information. In particular, trust in religious associates showed a notable pattern: participants who expressed higher levels of trust toward these individuals across all six topic areas were also more likely to report that they would purchase a product or service from them. These results suggest that interpersonal trust not only shapes how Gen Z college students interpret media messages, but also extends into behavioral and economic decision-making. This study contributes to contemporary applications of the Two-Step Flow theory by highlighting the present influence of specific interpersonal relationships in a digital media environment.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Download

Share

COinS