Background: With social media being ever present in today's marketing world, research guiding and aiding this phenomenon is of mount importance. With social credibility and source attractiveness being lucrative schemes on citizen influencers persuasiveness towards target followers on Instagram and ultimately the drive of online purchase intentions, a holistic approach is introduced to understand each key determinant of each phenomena. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of citizens influencers’ persuasiveness and its relationship with source credibility and source attractiveness, as well as determining a consumers’ online purchase intention on the social media platform Instagram. Method: The study was written in a quantitative manner, aiding the need for generalizable data within the field. An exploratory research design was used with web-based surveys sent out to the sample selection for completion. Main Findings: Four out of the five hypothesis regarding source credibility and attractiveness towards the persuasiveness of citizen influencers were rejected, indicating interesting results as it contradicts previous literature. Furthermore, online purchase intention hypotheses were found to have more positive alignments towards citizen influencers. Grounds for theoretical and practical implications as well as future research endeavors were found.

Today the amount of online medical information sources in Swedish is steadily increasing. The information is convenient and always at hand. People who turn to Google and other search engines are, however, not always knowledgeable about how to identify trustworthy information, or how search algorithms work. The main purpose of this study is to :ind out how Swedish students in the ages of 18-35 search for medical information online. One aspect of this is to gain a better understanding of how they navigate the internet, and how they prioritize and value different information sources. We also look at what sources they turn to for medical information and whether source credibility is crucial in their choices. Our study is based on an online survey at Umeå University. The survey was conducted among eight different study programs with students in the ages of 18-35. In total, we received 305 responses, of which 163 (53,4%) were women, 139 (45,6%) were men, and 1% de:ined as others. The main conclusion of this study is that the target group is most likely to turn to information sites provided by authorities. These sites are considered to be the most trustworthy. The study also showed that the target group was well aware of Sweden’s biggest online doctors, Kry in particular, and rated them as trustworthy as well. The target group would, however, not turn to these sites for medical information. We can also notice that the target group consider themselves to be critical of information online and good at evaluating source credibility.

The purpose of this study was to examine individual reactions to environmental messages based on three message frames. The frames include shock or fear, humor, and emotional frames. The intent of the study was to document, through the use of pre- and post-questionnaires, individuals' reactions to the three types of messages by measuring attitude or perception change, credibility of the message, and importance of the issue. In this study, baseline knowledge levels and beliefs about environmental issues were examined using a pre-questionnaire. How variable treatments affect attitudes or create perception change with regard to the environmental messages were explored. This study was questionnaire based, with results based on one time pre- and post questionnaires of mass communications undergraduate students at the University of South Florida. Along with message framing, McGuire's Information Processing Theory is useful in determining an individual's psychological context, and the steps an individual will take after a message is presented. This theory gives a "good overview of the attitude change process, reminding us that it involves a number of components" (Severin & Tankard, 2001, p. 175). Using these two theories as underpinning, exploration of the effects of different types of Greenpeace messages is possible. Determining which types of frames promote a behavior change in individuals adds to environmental persuasion research, and ultimately assists the designers of environmental messages and the deliverers of environmental communication.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of management altering its tone in communications on participants' perceptions of management credibility. Management's tone in communicating with participants was manipulated using communications from management under two treatment conditions. In period one of the study management's tone was manipulated within the management statement on internal controls as required by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's (PCAOB) Auditing Standards No. 2. In period one, participants had no knowledge of management's prior forecasting accuracy. Consistent with predicted hypotheses, the findings reveal that management can increase its credibility with participants by communicating its empathy, responsiveness, and understanding. Management's increased credibility was measured using both a validated credibility scale and by examining participants' reliance on management's forecasts. In period two of the study all participants had knowledge of management's forecast failure in period one. The results from period two found that tone could impact the rating of management's credibility when management had previously failed to meet a forecast but that tone had no impact on participant's changes in their earnings per share estimates after management had previously failed to meet a forecast.

Research into political satire programs show that they can be informative in the same way traditional news inform citizens and that the audience trust the information told by satirists. The political satire program Last Week Tonight with John Oliver has inspired the phenomenon ‘the John Oliver Effect’ due to comedian John Oliver’s ability to influence the world of politics and beyond with his in-depth investigations in serious subjects. In the author’s previous research Last Week Tonight has been portrayed by the media as being a credible source despite being the work of a comedian. This study therefore aimed to research what it is that makes Oliver and Last Week Tonight a credible source and whether some aspects of the reporting can be seen as communication campaign. With the theory of source credibility as part of its core, this study used the method of multimodality to ascertain that the main aspect that spoke to Oliver’s credibility was his perceived trustworthiness rather that his expertise or attractiveness. Using the same method but with the theory of communication campaign as part of its core, the study also ascertained that the program in general possessed some characteristics of a communication campaign but to be completely successful an episode had to possess all characteristics of a communication campaign. Merging this with previous research would indicate that subjectivity – Oliver’s authenticity and honest opinions and feelings – play an important part in his perceived credibility.

The study examines influencers usage of the social media platform Instagram and how their usage can affect the receiver of their content. The purpose of this study is therefore to observe how influencers are using the platform in order to influence their followers. This study is based on the question: how are the influencers using the social media platform Instagram in order to influence their followers? With the help of the Source Credibility Model, we have been able to value influencers credibility and usage during the netnographic method approach. The original Source Credibility Model consists of three factors: expertise, trustworthiness and attractiveness which helps to evaluate a source credibility. By doing this, we have been able to adapt and adjust this model to a new research area. Our analysis therefore reveals a fourth factor of this model - networking. This factor consists of two under categories: technical and social interaction. The study discovered that an influencer reaches attractivity with adjusting his or her visual content and by using functions on the social platform. The influencers collaborations and advertisement on the social platform shows on which level of expertise they achieve. Furthermore, the followers experience of the influencers content is evaluating the influencers credibility. To be able to evaluate these three factors, the influencer needs to interact with technical aspects such as social platforms and functions, but also to interact socially by giving personality and create engagement for the followers. The study also discovered a difference between male and female influencer usage of the platform, which gives their influence different impacts. This study therefore contributes the field of interest with a new model that can be used in order to examine influencer usage on different social platforms.

Syfte: Syftet är att undersöka skillnaden mellan en mänsklig influencer och en virtuell influencers effekt på en konsuments varumärkesattityd och köpintention när ett varumärke marknadsförs på sociala medier. Metod: Studien tillämpar en kvantitativ forskningsmetod med en deduktiv ansats. Populationen som avses studeras är svenska Instagram-användare mellan 15 och 60 år. Urvalet är baserat på ett icke-slumpmässigt urval. Data har samlats in genom en webb-baserat enkät. Enkäten resulterade i 182 godtagbara svar som har analyserats via statistikprogrammen Jamovi och SmartPLS. En deskriptiv analys, ensidiga och parade t-tester, korrelationsanalys samt strukturerad ekvationsmodellering har använts för att tolka studiens resultat. Resultat och slutsats: Studiens resultat visar att både en mänsklig- och en virtuell influencer har en effekt på en konsuments varumärkesattityd och köpintention. Effekten av en konsuments köpintention förmedlas i båda fall genom den varumärkesattityd respektive form av influencer genererat. Utifrån studiens teoretiska ramverk har studien även kunnat visa att olika faktorer har en relation till en mänsklig- respektive virtuell influencer, trots att de marknadsför samma varumärke. Bidrag: Studien bidrar till teoretisk kunskap om att en virtuell influencer har en effekt på en konsuments varumärkesattityd samt köpintention. Studien bidrar även med kunskap om att det finns olika faktorer som har en relation till en konsuments varumärkesattityd och köpintention i relation till en mänsklig- respektive virtuell form av influencer. Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Vidare forskning föreslås undersöka personlighetsdrag som är kopplade till en större omtyckbarhet gentemot virtuella influencers. En replikering med modifiering föreslås även samt studier om vilka organisationer/branscher som kan dra fördelar från att använda en virtuell influencer i sin marknadsföring. / Aim: The purpose is to investigate the difference between a human influencer and a virtual influencer's effect on a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention when a brand is marketed through social media. Method: The study applies a quantitative research method with a deductive approach. The population to be studied is Swedish Instagram users between the ages of 15 and 60. The selection of respondents is based on a non-random sample. Data has been collected through a web-based survey. The survey resulted in a total number of 182 respondents. The data has been analyzed through the statistical programs Jamovi and SmartPLS. A descriptive analysis, one-sided and paired t-tests, correlation analysis and structured equation modeling have been used to interpret the study's results. Result and conclusions: The result of this study shows that both a human- and a virtual influencer have an effect on a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention. In both cases, the effect of a consumer's purchase intention is mediated by the brand attitude the influencer has generated. Based on the study's theoretical framework, the study has also been able to show that different factors have a relationship to a human- and virtual influencer, even though they are marketing the same brand. Contribution: The study contributes to theoretical knowledge that a virtual influencer has an effect on a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention. The study also contributes to the knowledge that there are different factors that have a relationship to a consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention in relation to a human- or virtual form of influencer. Suggestion for future research: Further research is suggested to investigate personality traits that are connected to a greater likability towards virtual influencers. A replication with modification is also proposed as well as a study on which type of organizations/industries that can benefit from using a virtual influencer in their marketing.

In the context of Swedish students' difficulties to separate facts from opinions, we wanted to investigate why digital literacy, and especially source credibility, is important and how teachers in civics and the social sciences can teach students these skills. Studies show that upper secondary school students often turn to online sources when searching for information, rather than turning to traditional media. This is not a problem in itself, however, what is worrying is that the increasing spread of disinformation in combination with the lack of methods to verify true information adventures students' formation of opinions. In a society where young people consume more and more digital media this is truly alarming for future citizens and democracy. Therefore, in this literature review based on previous research, we give multiple reasons for why digital literacy, and especially source credibility, is important. But how should civics teachers teach digital literacy? This text also gives the tools by presenting four principles for guidance when planning classes where digital literacy will be taught. Furthermore, we present the idea of digital literacy as an active act and we also talk about the importance of examining each source from more than one perspective. Disciplinary literacy and the necessity of the teacher’s role as a disciplinary expert is also discussed in this paper. We then present and stress the importance of the three types of misinformation and give a few suggestions on how to use them. The next finding in our search for how to teach digital literacy to students is the benefits of working in a group of peers. Our take from this is that, in order to get out of your own “echo chamber”, group work can bring a set of different backgrounds, opinions and knowledge to the table when trying to make sense of everything the internet has to offer, good and bad.

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This article aims towards developing further understanding regarding the relation between the media phenomenon podcasts and source credibility amongst young adults in Sweden. Furthermore, the foundation for this essay is based on the previous and current empiricism regarding both podcasts and source credibility. This study has evaluated and discussed the function that podcasts contribute with in regards to bridging the gap between social media and journalistic publishing. To answer this study's aim of purpose, a qualitative and a quantitative research method have been applied. These research methods have consisted of a digital survey and a focus group survey. The purpose behind the research was to examine how young adults living in Sweden experience and reflect on the subject of podcasts in correlation with source credibility. The research was narrowed down to a specific set of three resource categories amongst podcasts. It was concluded from these studies’ research methods that similarities and differences were present in relation to already existing empiricism. Furthermore was the extubated data applied to the Parasocial Interaction Theory and Uses and Gratification Theory.  The extubated data showed how young adults consider themselves source critical in relation to information produced through podcasts. Furthermore it was revealed that young adults' source credibility is highly based on who the publisher and podcast host is and acts. After applying the two theories to the collected data it was illustrated that young adults’ source critical thinking was affected by their perceived personal relations towards the podcast hosts. It became apparent that podcasts within the public service sector were perceived more credible regardless of the podcast subject and podcast host. In further addition the collected data presented that credibility and source criticism amongst young adults is partly based on which genre of podcast that is consumed. This essay also conducts a discussion regarding how the relation between podcasts and source credibility can develop further in the future. / Följande arbete ämnar att bilda en ökad förståelse kring mediefenomet podcasts i relation till det samhällsaktuella begreppet källkritik. Således redovisas det hur tidigare forskning tillhörande forskningsområdena har bidragit till den nuvarande empirin inom ämnet. Uppsatsen beskriver och diskuterar podcasts som en medial kanal som verkar mellan sociala medier och journalistiskt publicerade verk. För uppsatsens syfte har en kvalitativ och en kvantitativ studie genomförts. Dessa forskningsmetoder utformades som en digital enkät och en fokusgruppsundersökning. Arbetet utgick från att undersöka hur unga vuxna i Sverige upplever och reflekterar kring podcasts i relation till källkritik inom tre olika podcastgenrer. Genom arbetets forskningsmetoder synliggjordes likheter och olikheter i relation till tidigare forskning och applicerades även i relation till två olika teorier. Dessa två teorier var Parasocial Interaction Theory och Uses and Gratification Theory. Studien visade att unga vuxna är generellt källkritiska till det material de får ta del av via podcasts, men att trovärdigheten och nivån av källkritik avgörs beroende på vem avsändaren och podvärden är. Genom applicering av de båda teorierna till studiens data från undersökningarna, synliggjordes det att lyssnarnas uppfattade personliga relationer till podcastvärdarna påverkade deras källkritiska tänkande. Ytterligare framgick det att podcasts med public service som avsändare ansågs vara mer trovärdiga oberoende ämnet och podcastvärd. Studien visade även att trovärdigheten och källkritiken hos unga vuxna är delvis beroende på vilken kategori av podcast som konsumeras. Uppsatsen för även en diskussion om hur källkritik kan appliceras i relation till mediefenomet podcasts i framtiden.