characteristics of media audiences and trust in the media

This article analyzes elements of the social and demographic profi le of Croatian media audiences in order to identify what may determine their perceptions of the Croatian media and their overall trust in the media. The analytical data that forms the foundation of this examination derives from the research project, “Trust in Media”, ordered by the Faculty of Political Science at the University in Zagreb and conducted in co-operation with the Zagreb-based research agency Media Metar, on nationally representative probability samples. The main assumption is that the diff erences in demographic characteristics and cultural capital within media audiences affect personal attitudes toward media institutions and overall trust in the media. Emphasis is allotted to the differences in professional qualifications, as an indicator of cultural capital, as well as on the diff erences in other social and demographic characteristics and on the relationship of media consumption and trust in media. Relying on the results of previous studies, this article examines the extent of which perception and trust in the media may be explained by differences in social and demographic characteristics.