Trust Pathways in Digital Journalism: Comparing Western and National News Media Influence on Civic Engagement in Egypt

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

This paper is very well-structured, with clearly defined objectives and a logical flow of sections, making it easy to follow and understand. The theoretical introduction is excellent, providing a solid foundation that allows for a deeper understanding of the key concepts that are further explored in the paper. The author successfully integrates relevant literature, creating a rich context for the research. The structure of the paper contributes to its coherence, making it highly accessible for reading and analysis.

I suggest the following changes in order to improve the clarity and depth of the paper.

• At the beginning, a more detailed explanation should be provided regarding what "western media" and "national media" are, and whether the difference lies in ownership structure, geographic or cultural focus, or the topics that are covered. It would be useful to clarify the basis for making this distinction, offering a clearer understanding of the key factors that differentiate these two types of media.
• The discussion is well-written and detailed, but I believe the conclusion should be further elaborated.
• It might also be beneficial to include descriptive statistics in the appendix to provide a better understanding of the sample.

Author Response

At the beginning, a more detailed explanation should be provided regarding what "western media" and "national media" are, and whether the difference lies in ownership structure, geographic or cultural focus, or the topics that are covered. It would be useful to clarify the basis for making this distinction, offering a clearer understanding of the key factors that differentiate these two types of media.

Thank you for your thoughtful feedback. I completely agree with your suggestion and have incorporated the relevant section into the attached manuscript on pages 1 and 2, highlighted in red.

The discussion is well-written and detailed, but I believe the conclusion should be further elaborated.

I completely agree with your observation and have updated the conclusion section accordingly on pages 17 and 18, with the changes highlighted in red.

It might also be beneficial to include descriptive statistics in the appendix to provide a better understanding of the sample.

Thank you for pointing out this important aspect. I’ve included it on pages 20 and 21 of the manuscript, marked in red for your reference.

 

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf

Reviewer 2 Report

Comments and Suggestions for Authors

The paper “Trust Pathways in Digital Journalism: Comparing Western and National News Media Influence on Civic Engagement in Egypt” investigates citizens' trust in the media. The topic is of high interest for democracy because of the implicit guarantees for the exercise of freedom of expression.

In formal aspects, title, abstract, keywords, logical sequence and structure of the paper, the authors fully meet the criteria of scientific writing and the journal's policies.

A solid theoretical framework is presented, showing the main studies and theories that support the research.

The methodology is quantitative, a “partial least squares structural (PLS-SEM) model is proposed to analyse data collected from 426 Egyptian digital news consumers. This quantitative approach allows for a detailed examination of the relationships between the various factors influencing trust and civic engagement.” This design is recommended for further research in other continents and provides scientific evidence to understand the differences in the way trust is formed among digital media across countries and regions.

Thanks to this study, it is also found that journalists' evaluation plays a crucial role, as it consistently influences both trust in content and civic engagement across platforms. In practice, the research findings contribute to digital journalism theory by evidencing how journalists' credibility acts as a “pillar of trust.”

Author Response

"The paper 'Trust Pathways in Digital Journalism: Comparing Western and National News Media Influence on Civic Engagement in Egypt' investigates citizens' trust in the media. The topic is of high interest for democracy because of the implicit guarantees for the exercise of freedom of expression. In formal aspects, title, abstract, keywords, logical sequence and structure of the paper, the authors fully meet the criteria of scientific writing and the journal's policies. A solid theoretical framework is presented, showing the main studies and theories that support the research. The methodology is quantitative, a 'partial least squares structural (PLS-SEM) model is proposed to analyse data collected from 426 Egyptian digital news consumers. This quantitative approach allows for a detailed examination of the relationships between the various factors influencing trust and civic engagement.' This design is recommended for further research in other continents and provides scientific evidence to understand the differences in the way trust is formed among digital media across countries and regions. Thanks to this study, it is also found that journalists' evaluation plays a crucial role, as it consistently influences both trust in content and civic engagement across platforms. In practice, the research findings contribute to digital journalism theory by evidencing how journalists' credibility acts as a 'pillar of trust.'"

Thank you for your thorough and encouraging assessment of our research. We are gratified that you recognize the democratic significance of our work on trust in digital media in the Egyptian context. Your positive evaluation of our theoretical framework, methodological approach, and findings on journalist credibility as a "pillar of trust" is deeply appreciated.

We particularly value your observation about the broader applicability of our PLS-SEM model for understanding trust formation across different regions and media environments. This aligns with our goal of developing frameworks that can be adapted to diverse contexts while remaining sensitive to local particularities.

In the revised manuscript, we have maintained these strengths while addressing the specific suggestions from other reviewers to further enhance the clarity and impact of our work. Your supportive comments reinforce the value of our contribution to digital journalism theory and research on media trust in non-Western settings.

Author Response File: Author Response.pdf