Relevance theory perspectives on web-based communication

Cognitivist approaches are in need of an inclusive theory of communication. Relevance theory (RT) is well-equipped to develop into such a theory, but to fulfill its promise it should be able to accommodate digital-platform-based exchanges. Since communication via digital platforms often takes place between people who do not, or hardly, know each other personally, the issue of trustworthiness becomes much more important than in the face-to-face variety that is RT’s paradigmatic type of communication. Using TripAdvisor as an illustrative example, we make suggestions for how RT can handle, and provide useful perspectives on, communication via digital platforms, paying specific attention to the creation of trust.