THE INFLUENCE OF CLICKBAIT EXPOSURE AND NEWS ACCOUNT FOLLOWED ON GENERATON Z’S PERCEPTIONS OF NEWS ACCOUNT CREDIBILITY MEDIATED BY USER PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

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.