PUBLIC TRUST IN POLITICAL INVESTIGATIONS Investigative Journalism Taken Over by Politicians in Armeni

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the research is to juxtapose the public trust towards investigations carried out by investigative journalists with the ones conducted by politicians in Armenia. The thesis also seeks to reveal the preconditions of trust in the two phenomena mentioned above. Theory: Conditioned by the lack of prior research on the matter in Armenia, the theoretical framework of trust and its prerequisites is borrowed from western academic works and adapted for the Armenian public. Method: The methodology used for the thesis encompasses both qualitative and quantitative research, more specifically a paper-based survey conducted in both rural and urban areas of Armenia with 2800 responders and an interview conducted with four of the survey participants. Result: The research revealed that the investigations conducted by politicians are trusted significantly more, while the public trust score in investigative journalism is evidently low.