Sharing isn't always caring. Brand and trust in a fragmented news environment

Going on to TweetDeck is the modern-day equivalent of the Tower of Babel. Lots of people screaming for your attention (and arguably talking in foreign tongues). As a journalist, I follow more news organisations and writers than most. Unsurprisingly, these folks who are on Twitter 24/27 also desperately want you to go to their story.

But sharing isn't always caring. In a social media world where rumours abound, it's hard to find authoritative sources that you know have gone to efforts to stand up a story.

Brand and trust in a fragmented news environment is more important than ever, which is why the good burghers at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism have investigated just that

On Oct 11, the Reuters Institute showcased the results of qualitative research conducted earlier this year by Kantar Media. For many news organisations who feel they are doing the heavy lifting (i.e. spending considerable resource) on producing journalism, the rules of the game have changed: platforms now control the distribution lines and are making money whilst not necessarily reinvesting in journalism. (disclosure: the report is part of The Digital News Project, a research series supported by Google's Digital News Initiative).

One question I have is how digital orgs like, ahem, the one I work for are ranked for trust when we don't have a legacy reputation or their reach. How digital natives get in amongst the big boys is one that is addressed in the report. 'Among users of digital-born news brands... [ones] that have been active for longer are more likely to be relied upon as people's main online news sources.'

The folks at the Reuters Institute are doing amazing work in the field of journalism at what can be variously described as an exciting and scary moment of change. Every digital journalist who cares about the future of our industry should read what they have to say.

Here are the main points below.

• Consumers’ trust in news is complex but is most readily associated with news content and, in particular, perceptions of its accuracy, impartiality, and tonality
• Trust was undermined where news content was perceived as having a sensationalist or overtly attention-grabbing tone
• Older users are more likely to favour website hubs while younger users are increasingly becoming aware of stories via social media. The vast majority of participants tended to have a preferred source for initial awareness of news stories and almost all gravitated towards online sources to learn about news stories.
• Social media is appreciated for its ease of access and the way it provides different perspectives but there are concerns about inaccurate information and unpleasant comments while social filtering risks creating a news bubble
• Views about editors vs algorithms were mixed, with the more digital savvy favouring the personalisation and perceived neutrality of algorithms, while others gravitate towards the familiarity and convenience of content selected by editors and journalists