Section Article

Media Credibility and Public Trust: A Sociological Study
Author(s): Poonam Rathi

Abstract
The institution of media plays a pivotal role in the functioning of modern democracies by informing citizens shaping public opinion and providing a platform for discourse. However in recent decades the credibility of the media has increasingly come under scrutiny leading to a perceptible erosion of public trust. This sociological study explores the dynamics between media credibility and public trust by analyzing historical evolutions institutional transformations and socio-political factors contributing to this crisis. Drawing on empirical research theoretical frameworks and contemporary examples the paper argues that restoring media credibility requires not only technical reforms in journalistic practices but also broader structural ethical and democratic reorientations of the media landscape. Trust once lost is difficult to regain and unless the media institutions realign themselves with the core values of transparency accountability and public service their legitimacy in the eyes of the public will continue to decline.