Trust continues to be an essential measure for success and the latest Edelman Trust Barometer results reinforce this. Trusted companies have stronger consumer buyers and advocates and are more immune to the media cycle. Trust in news and information sources declined compared to last year, but Traditional Media still leads overall with 65% trust, compared to 26% for Social Media.
Social media in particular has had an impact on trust in media, “accelerating the deterioration of the traditional media business model, forcing drastic cutbacks in reporting staff, and fueled a stunning change in the trust construct.
An increasing dependence on social media as a primary source of information allowed individual experience to eclipse expertise as the basis of content. Social media brought about an epidemic of fake news that is now undermining democratic institutions. The public is increasingly opinionated, reverting to thought bubbles that reinforce presumption and bias. Fake news also has raised levels of skepticism and gullibility; responsible content counters both.”
Read more about the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer online here.
