Investigating the Impact of Social Media on Public Trust in Investigative Journalism

1. Introduction 1.1 Background and Context 1.2 Research Objectives 1.3 Scope and Limitations 2. The Evolution of Investigative Journalism 2.1 Historical Overview 2.2 Technological Advancements 2.3 Challenges and Opportunities 3. The Rise of Social Media 3.1 Development and Growth 3.2 Key Platforms Analyzed 3.3 User Engagement Trends 4. Public Trust in Media 4.1 Defining Public Trust 4.2 Factors Influencing Trust 4.3 Measuring Media Credibility 5. Social Media's Role in Information Dissemination 5.1 Speed of News Distribution 5.2 Viral Trends and Their Impact 5.3 The Role of Influencers 6. Impacts on Investigative Journalism 6.1 Case Studies of Influential Reports 6.2 Changes in Reporting Techniques 6.3 Public Perception and Reaction 7. Comparative Analysis 7.1 Traditional vs. Digital Media 7.2 Trust Levels Across Platforms 7.3 International Perspectives 8. Conclusions and Recommendations 8.1 Summary of Findings 8.2 Implications for Journalism 8.3 Future Research Directions