From Posts to Perceptions: Social Media and Political Trustworthiness

Political communication is a crucial factor in shaping perceptions of trustworthiness in modern democracies. With the advent of digitalization, social media has gained prominence as both a platform for political actors to engage with the public and as a medium for citizens to evaluate political messages. This article examines the use of social media—specifically Facebook—as a tool for political communication, focusing on its implications for political attitudes and judgments of political trustworthiness, a cornerstone of democratic governance. The study pursues two main objectives. First, it explores the political elite´s perceptions of trustworthy leadership and the role of social media in contemporary politics. Second, it analyse the use of Facebook by selected politicians, shedding light on the platform's potential for fostering political trustworthiness. This analysis contributes to ongoing discussions in the literature on the role of social media in democracy (e.g., Metakides, 2024; Hunter, 2023). The analysis leverages two key data sources from twelve TRUEDEM project countries: Facebook posts from selected politicians to assess patterns in political communication, and in-depth interviews with politicians to understand their perceptions of trustworthiness and the evolving role of social media in politics. By combining empirical data with theoretical insights, the article offers a multi-layer perspective on how digital political communication shapes democratic attitudes and trust, contributing to the broader understanding of the interplay between modern communication tools, politics, and democracy.