Better Ask Your Neighbor: Renegotiating Media Trust During the Russian–Ukrainian Conflict

Abstract During violent conflict, the evaluation of information sources often presents a complex challenge. Social interactions play critical role for mediating audiences’ trust as they negotiate contested spreading across media and social networks. This study uses focus groups individual interviews, conducted in propaganda-saturated environment Russian–Ukrainian to investigate how audiences develop practices assigning mediated sources. It identifies three verification practices, each based on different notion pragmatic trust: Reliance ideologically close sources; skepticism toward while trusting institution; or institutional distrust cynical disillusionment. Each practice is embedded participants’ environment, which both supplies helps negotiating appropriate practices. The article concludes by discussing implications studies socially shaped understanding media.