The dark side of the boon? Credibility, selective exposure and the proliferation of online sources of political information

•This is one of the first studies to examine the connection between online credibility and selective exposure and avoidance.•This study found little evidence that credibility leads to either selective exposure or avoidance.•Those who see blogs as credible search for both information that supports their views and challenges their views.•Those who judge online broadcast news sites as credible rarely seek partisan information.

While the media industry may consider credibility its most valuable asset, scholars suggest there is a potential “dark side” to credibility: Perceptions of credibility of a source lead to selective exposure and selective avoidance, and both lead to increased fragmentation and polarization of social and political views. The link between credibility and selective exposure and avoidance has not received much academic attention, therefore this study employed a survey of politically interested Internet users during the 2008 presidential campaign to test the influence of credibility and reliance on selective exposure and avoidance after controlling for demographic and political factors. This study found little evidence of a dark side to credibility. Respondents who judge blogs as credible search for information that supports their point of view, as well as challenges their opinions.