You have been invited to participate in a research study conducted by Tasha Lane from the Sociology and Anthropology Department at Linfield College. The purpose of this study is to understand people’s perceptions of the believability of media articles about a legal case. These results will help to further understand media’s effects on our perceptions and the views that individuals have of online news sources.



Participation in this study will require the following:



1. Read two news articles about a legal case.



2. Answer some questions about your opinion on the believability of the two articles.



3. Complete a few brief questions about your background.



Participation in this study is anonymous and should take approximately 20-30 minutes of your time. There are a few foreseeable risks of participation. It is possible that the contents of the questionnaire may cause you to feel anxious or worry about any personal experiences you have had with the topic of the case or the legal system itself. If the topic does cause you discomfort please contact the crisis text line by texting SUPPORT to 741-741. You may decline to answer any questions that cause you discomfort at anytime.



If you have any questions about this research study please contact Tasha Lane at tlane@linfield.edu or the instructor of my course, Robert Gardner at rgardne@linfield.edu.



Participation in this study is voluntary. You may refuse to participate, skip any question, or withdraw at any time without penalty.



I have read the contents of the consent form and I hereby give voluntary consent to participate in this study. Clicking next does not waive my rights nor does it release the investigators, institution or sponsors from their responsibilities.



If you agree to participate, please click “next.”