Couchsurfing.com is a site that allows users to create unique experiences with strangers by asking to be hosted by or hosting other users in their own houses for free. Launched in 2004, the site quickly grew to a million users in 2009. While it had survived with limited funding until that point, founder Casey Fenton expressed he had bigger plans. He would be turning it more into a traditional business venture, which sent it on a downward spiral that eventually alienated its workers and users. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
