From content to context: a qualitative case study of factors influencing audience perception of the trustworthiness of COVID-19 data visualisations in UK newspaper coverage

Drawing from 18 audience interviews, this article examines audience perception of the trustworthiness of COVID-19 data visualisations in UK newspaper coverage. The findings suggest that overall, the participants viewed the selected COVID-19 data visualisations as largely trustworthy. Their perception was unaffected by the types of data visualisations. The trustworthiness of data visualisations had no clear connection with their likability and learnability. Instead, the participants’ trust was influenced by the perceived problematic presentation of data visualisations, such as the inappropriate use of bars to represent data or the failure to present data in context. It was also affected by the participants’ understanding of the problems about data (production and presentation), their assessment of the credibility of data sources and news outlets, and their personal lived experiences and information gained from other sources. All of these were related to the social context surrounding data and data visualisations, rather than merely the content of data visualisations. The findings reveal that the social construction nature of data and data visualisations creates a space for the participants to question data visualisations’ trustworthiness. The close connection between trust in data visualisations and trust in data, a socially constructed product, suggests that the trustworthiness of data visualisations transcends the control of journalists and news media, extending to the context of data and its visualisations. This qualitative research reveals the importance of context to audience trust in data visualisations in the UK.