If journalists do not trust government institutions, this is likely to be reflected in their reportage and may ultimately shape the opinions of citizens about government. What societal factors influence journalists’ level of trust in public institutions?

In the United States, women’s earnings rose from 60% of men’s earnings in 1979 to 69% in 1989. This increase was the result of cultural and legal developments in the 1960s and 1970s, such as the 1964 Civil Rights Act that prohibited gender discrimination in the workplace. Other significant factors include the women’s rights movements, as well as the ability for younger women to delay having children, according to a 2012 study for the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Despite early hopes that the Internet would foster communities based on common interests regardless of race, age or gender, studies have found that many offline sociological patterns are typically replicated in online spaces. However, few studies have tracked these behaviors at the level of the individual user.