Where Are We Placing Our Trust in 2019?

If there’s one topic that seemed to touch every sector of our society in 2018, it was the notion “trust.” Trust in government, trust in media, trust in business and, frankly, trust in ourselves. As a result of this global crisis, entities and people in nearly all industries and sectors have tracked and measured global trust closely this year. I believe it’s important to go into 2019 aware of these trends, and for all industries to be prepared to make the necessary changes in order to regain the public trust.

Let’s start with a recent news article published in Axios, in which it was reported that “efforts to bring transparency to media — including attempts by journalists to publicly defend their work, media literacy campaigns, more transparent funding and improved fact-checking partnerships” have actually been effective in recouping public trust by education and emphasis on transparency. However, despite the fact that “transparency works,” one-third of adults measured claimed that their trust in media cannot be recouped. This number means we, and media at large, still have a ways to go, but it also tells us that hope is not lost…69% are open to change and would likely embrace a more transparent media environment.

In addressing media, it’s important to distinguish between media companies, so-called tech companies and actual news sources. They are not one and the same, and the fact they have been conflated by consumers and distributors alike, have only added to the problem of trust and trustworthiness. Stories, reports, and “facts” shared on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter (wrongly known as “big tech”) cannot and should not be assumed to be real information. Ever. The sooner we accept that, the sooner (and more effectively) “fake news” can be combatted. We need to reestablish the credibility of real, trusted news sources and rely on those to distribute accurate news and information.

The Edelman Trust Barometer, which the communications agency publishes annually, reported this year that “nearly seven in 10 respondents among the general population worry about fake news or false information being used as a weapon, and 59 percent say that it is getting harder to tell if a piece of news was produced by a respected media organization.” Given this environment of fear and confusion, “media has become the least-trusted institution for the first time in Trust Barometer history.” That being said, the study also found that “the credibility of journalists rose substantially.” This is measurable proof that our ever-wide definition of media is confounding the public, and that increasingly, media and news/journalism will require a clear distinction from one another. On the other hand, it does show that having a Walter Cronkite-esque news source remains important. As a result, hard journalism must continue to assert its own unique identity from that of new media, and it must prioritize absolute transparency and rigorous reporting to reestablish public trust.

VMLY&R’s own proprietary data engine, BAV, found similar levels of distrust in their most recent study, collected over the final quarter of 2018. BAV found that in the U.S., people are more trusting of private companies for taking care of their health (46% vs. 30%) and economic well-being (39% vs. 34%) than government. Having said this, although private companies are still trusted more than government, public trust in those corporations has dropped over the last three years—no surprise given the kind of behavior and poor handling of our data we’ve seen by companies across all sectors.

With respect to media, BAV found that approximately 63% of adults worldwide agree that “there are no more objective news source(s)” and that people are very divided on trusting internet vs. traditional media (interestingly, 54% trust news that from newspapers or television more than news read online). Finally, most adults around the world (66%) believe that “Internet news and content is dividing us rather than uniting us,” with a whopping 80% of Americans in agreement. It seems we all agree on what’s causing our disagreements, and it’s why trust in news and global industries must be restored if we ever hope to regain trust in one another. Listen:

“Our Republic and its press will rise or fall together”—Joseph Pulitzer

But it’s not just our republic. It’s our global economy, trust and cooperation. Accurate coverage. Distinction between media, so-called tech and news, increased transparency, dedication to accurate reporting, and, as always, self-education. We as individuals are not exempt from the battle. As one of my favorite New York Times journalists, Kara Swisher, recently penned, “For now, it’s not clear what we can do, except take control of our own individual news consumption.”

Take the time to research what you’re reading, what you’re sharing, and what you’re believing. Let’s make 2019 the year we take up arms against misinformation and distrust. What do you think?