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Revenge of Cecil the Lion: Credibility in Third-Party Review Sites

Revenge of Cecil the Lion: Credibility in Third-Party Review Sites

Alison N. Novak
Copyright: © 2017 |Pages: 17
ISBN13: 9781522510727|ISBN10: 1522510729|EISBN13: 9781522510734
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-5225-1072-7.ch012
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MLA

Novak, Alison N. "Revenge of Cecil the Lion: Credibility in Third-Party Review Sites." Establishing and Evaluating Digital Ethos and Online Credibility, edited by Moe Folk and Shawn Apostel, IGI Global, 2017, pp. 252-268. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-1072-7.ch012

APA

Novak, A. N. (2017). Revenge of Cecil the Lion: Credibility in Third-Party Review Sites. In M. Folk & S. Apostel (Eds.), Establishing and Evaluating Digital Ethos and Online Credibility (pp. 252-268). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-1072-7.ch012

Chicago

Novak, Alison N. "Revenge of Cecil the Lion: Credibility in Third-Party Review Sites." In Establishing and Evaluating Digital Ethos and Online Credibility, edited by Moe Folk and Shawn Apostel, 252-268. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2017. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-1072-7.ch012

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Abstract

Digital media has seen a proliferation of Third-Party Review Sites (TPRS) that encourage the public to comment and reflect on their interactions and experiences with a retailer, brand, or company. Sites like Yelp build massive audiences based on their credibility as authentic, accurate, external reviewers. This study looks at how the co-opting of TPRS pages by advocates and protesters influences public perceptions of credibility on these sites. Specifically, it explores the public's reaction to Yelp as a digital space of protest after the death of Cecil the Lion at the hands of a Minnesota dentist. Through focus groups, this study identifies that TPRS audiences look for consistency in reviews to determine credibility; the public sees advocacy as harming the credibility of the overall site; current events play a role in the interpretation of TPRS; and the intentions of users is key to building a reputation as credible in digital media.

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