Misinformation and the Media: How public trust of major institutions is changing

In a year with a global pandemic, there are a number of new words and phrases that have entered the everyday lexicon. “Masking,” “social distancing,” and “zoom” have all become commonplace in our conversations. One buzzword is of particular importance to journalists: misinformation. The past year of political and economic turmoil has created an atmosphere of mistrust in some of society's most fundamental institutions. Kirsty Graham, Global Chair of Health at Edelman, spoke to the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA and board member Dawn Kissi and examined this phenomenon through the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, in which 14 countries around the world were surveyed on their public’s trust of organizations such as business and government, as well as how hopeful they are about the future. The survey included responses from over 16,000 individuals from May 2021, and the data was then compared to data from an identical survey from January 2021. There are several important takeaways from the results. 

Government is widely not trusted.

From wars to terrorist attacks to economic crises, government leaders are typically the first place the public turns to for information and direction in a time of uncertainty. This held true for the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when citizens worldwide looked to their political leaders for guidance. The downplaying of the pandemic's severity, the mixed messaging, and the resulting death toll led to widespread mistrust of official assessments of the infection. The findings of Edelman’s Trust Barometer show that the people in the majority of the countries surveyed, 10 out of 14, do not trust their government for accurate information. NGOs, businesses, and employers were all more trusted institutions than the government. Alongside the government, religious leaders, journalists, and powerful business CEOs lost significant credibility. However, the most trusted figure was often one’s own employer.   

The public is skeptical of the media.

Since the onset of the pandemic, trust in news sources dropped dramatically. An alarming 64% of those surveyed claim that “We are in the midst of an information crisis.” Social media, search engines, and traditional media like newspapers and television were all a part of the study. The individuals in the 14 countries surveyed believed that these media sources were doing a poor job reducing the spread of misinformation. Similar to earlier findings, the source of information that was most trusted came from an employer, such as an informational email on how to limit the spread of COVID-19. In the Q/A following the presentation with Dawn Kissi of the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, Kirsty Graham attributes the distrust of the media partly to political polarization. Graham sees the news industry as having become polarized as well. This, she claims, has led many consumers to see news sources as being biased towards one or the other side of the political spectrum.    

Business is increasingly taking on governmental roles.

Across the board, government and government-run media have taken a drastic hit in credibility in the public's eyes. In its place, the public has vested its trust in the private sector to address society’s problems such as job creation, the COVID-19 pandemic, and systemic inequalities. As a result, many employees (79%) now expect their employers to be vocal on social issues. In the Q/A, Graham notes that it is unclear if this expectation will last into the future or whether it is solely a pandemic-era phenomenon.

Journalists must be aware of these changes and understand that the field is in a challenging position. But this should not serve as a deterrent from pursuing one’s responsibility to report events fairly and accurately. Journalists should also see this as an opportunity to explore more fully the public’s understanding or misunderstanding of the media.