This book examines the role of media credibility and trust in news personalization and consumer engagement in the US. While much has been written about the use of algorithms in audience targeting, we define news personalization in a different way: as attempts by news personnel to build credibility and trust with consumers through a focus on relatable news. The book examines tactics such as the use of transparency cues in stories, responsiveness to audience comments, and disclosing personal information to consumers. It also addresses the challenges of news personalization, including how messaging from vested interests may also be seen by audiences as personalized news. In an age when individuals are increasingly determining their own ecology of news sources, this book offers a unique perspective on an emerging area of news customization and personalization.

Kirsten Johnson, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Communications Program at Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania. She has co-authored two textbooks, The Broadcast News Toolkit and Shoot, Edit, Share. She conducts research in the areas of perceived credibility and trust of news, as well as citizen journalism.

Burton St. John III, Ph.D., is Professor of Public Relations at the University of Colorado, Boulder.  His research encompasses risk and crisis communication involving the fields of public relations and journalism.