Abstract:
This study explores the influence of clickbait headline language exposure and the type of news account followed on the
perception of news account credibility among Generation Z in Indonesia, with user personal experience acting as a mediating
variable. The study seeks to discover how digital news consumers, particularly Generation Z, assess the reliability of media
accounts that commonly use emotionally charged and provocative headlines. This study employs quantitative
methodologies, with a total of 176 respondents chosen using purposive sampling. Data were obtained using a Likert-scale
form and analyzed using path analysis in SPSS. The findings reveal that both clickbait exposure and the type of news account
have a substantial impact on users' personal experiences and perceived credibility. Furthermore, user personal experience
serves as a full mediator in the association between clickbait exposure and perceived credibility, as well as a partial mediator
in the relationship between news account type and perception. These findings underscore the complexities of measuring
media credibility in the digital age, as well as the importance of content experience and media literacy in molding trust in
digital news outlets.
