Title:
IS NEGATIVE EWOM TRUSTWORTHY? A CONTENT ANALYSIS OF ITS KEY CHARACTERISTICS

Authors:
Meng-Lin Shih, Taiwan

Abstract:

Negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is not entirely true but we can find clues from its key characteristics. Based on the Lasswell communication model’s “who said it” and “what content of it”, we conduct a content analysis of negative eWOM for understanding its key characteristics. First, we examine whether the spreader of negative eWOM is a newly registered user. Second, we examine the number of lines of each negative eWOM, the quality of each negative eWOM, and whether each negative eWOM is accompanied by pictures or videos. The results indicate that only 9% of negative eWOM is posted by a novice, nearly 75% of negative eWOM messages are of quality, and less than 50% of negative eWOM has supporting pictures or videos, implying most of negative eWOM being trustworthy. Detailed findings and discussion are presented.