It Builds Trust
Audience trust has become a critical concern of the news industry, with media now considered the least trusted institution globally (Trust Barometer, Edelman). Distrust is a symptom of interrelated trends including the rise of disinformation, misinformation and fake news, closing space for independent media, political and economic polarization, and the loss of local media due to collapsing business models. Another trend breeding distrust is an enduring lack of diversity and representation in media.
Around the world, media are continually shown to exclude or misrepresent marginalized and minority groups in the news. This means that many people do not receive information relevant to their experience and circumstances – causing them to disengage and distrust the media.
There is growing evidence of the connection between inclusion and trust:
A study of three social media communities – Asian-American Twitter, Black Twitter, and Feminist Twitter – reveals how “marginalized communities have many broadly shared concerns that are not always accurately or adequately portrayed in mainstream news stories,” and such groups share news relevant to their communities that are not covered by mainstream media. The study also highlights how they each share a lack of trust in mainstream news coverage. Additionally, a media coalition in Minnesota found that the disengagement of indigenous communities and people of color with the news can be attributed to journalists’ tendency to inaccurately portray these groups and propagate harmful racial narratives. Around the world Internews continually observes that the inclusion of citizen voice and diverse sources is key to trustworthy news.
Lack of trust in media is not just a concern for news organizations: it concerns societies and democracies at large, which depend on an informed citizenry. Several initiatives have launched that address building trust through inclusion in the media. Incorporating diverse voices and sources is recommended by the Trust Project; practicing radical transparency is advised by the Trusting News project; and ‘focused listening’ is suggested by the Listening Post Collective.
Reflecting on the results of the 2019 Trust Barometer, Lisa Kimmel, CEO of Edelman Canada, reveals an opportunity to build greater trust in media and in our institutions more generally by increasing women’s engagement in the media as spokespersons for their companies. She highlights that a critical part of this is employer-led inclusion.
Employers must champion equity to build trust in media
By Lisa Kimmel
Chair & CEO, Canada and Latin America, Edelman
The past year was one of profound change in trust around the globe. Ongoing skepticism and confusion over what may or may not be “fake” news and a loss of confidence in the social platforms that once fostered peer-to-peer trust have helped contribute to growing pessimism and worry – which has left almost half of the mass population believing that the system is failing them, according to the global findings from the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer.
As a result, people have shifted their trust to relationships within their control – most notably, their employers (75 percent). This is significantly higher than NGOs, who are trusted to do what is right 57 percent of the time, businesses (56 percent), and the media – which sit dead last at 47 percent. In fact, in our quest for the truth, 73 percent of us are worrying about information or fake news being used as a weapon.
Amid this upheaval, it’s important to better understand the state of trust for women specifically. For the first time in the Trust Barometer’s 19-year history, Edelman did just that, exploring the connection between gender and trust, and how it factors into women’s engagement with business and the media.
In nearly every market surveyed, from the U.S. to the UAE, women trust less than men. This is perhaps no surprise given the daily headlines about high-profile cases of sexual harassment, pay equity concerns and bias against women and mothers. There’s no question that as much as 2018 was a catalyst for real change, it also highlighted just how much gender inequity still requires our time and attention. If we look at the institution of media specifically, women continue to be severely underrepresented, with a 2015 report finding they represent only 19 percent of experts featured in news stories and 37 percent of reporters telling stories globally. We’re seeing the repercussions of this inequity play out in the significant impact on trust in our institutions and, in turn, on progress in our society.
Data gives us an opportunity to understand what the path forward looks like – where and how can trust be built with women, how we can ensure their voices are being heard, and what business’ mandate is for doing so.
AN IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE CHANGE
Given that more than seven in 10 women say they trust their employer, companies have an important opportunity to affect change far beyond their internal walls. It starts with taking a leadership position on issues that matter to women. In fact, 74 percent of women say that CEOs should take the lead on change, rather than waiting for governments to impose it – a 10-point increase in the last year. There is also a continued call for equality; both men and women say that the number one issue for CEOs to address is equal pay.
2019 Edelman Trust Barometer. Thinking about CEOs, how strongly do you agree or disagree with the following statements? In which of the following areas do you think CEOs can have a significant impact or create the most positive change? (Global, excluding the Netherlands and Saudi Arabia, by gender).
Another key area where employers can help foster equality while building trust is the media.
There are numerous opportunities for companies to engage women in the news they disseminate, as the 2019 data revealed a profound 22-point jump in news engagement among women. We now consider more than one-in-three women as amplifiers of the media (those who share and consume news weekly and share and post content at least once per month) – a lift of 15 points. This means they aren't just consuming the news but are actively adding to the conversation in ever-greater numbers. As women across the globe drive change in their workplaces, governments and communities, they're sharing stories, debating topics and spotlighting issues that matter to them. With more women viewing owned media as a trusted source – up eight points from 2018 – companies have an opportunity to disseminate meaningful content that inspires women to engage.
2019 Edelman Trust Barometer. News Engagement Scale. How often do you engage in the following activities related to news and information? General population, by gender.
2019 Edelman Trust Barometer. News Engagement Scale. How often do you engage in the following activities related to news and information?
With women increasingly becoming amplifiers it’s important for organizations to encourage and actively put women forward as spokespersons for media opportunities. Politics often play a role when it comes to who’s offered up as a company representative, particularly in male-dominated industries. Companies must foster environments where women are empowered to put themselves out there as go-to contacts for media interviews, panel discussions, and more.
Many in the business world understand the imperative for change and have formal initiatives in place to tackle important issues that help champion women’s advancement. Yet, while many of these initiatives start with the best intentions, it’s easy for them to fall flat – or worse – if an honest look internally doesn’t happen first.
HOW DO EMPLOYERS TAKE THE LEAD ON GENDER EQUALITY?
Organizations must start by understanding where they are in the journey to gender equity and build from there. Ask your teams: is our own house in order? Are we doing the hard work to get the basics — policies, processes, and communication — right? How can we create behavioral change and build a culture of inclusivity that transcends any one policy?
Edelman has championed this effort through its Global Women’s Equality Network (GWEN), which aims to foster an environment that is both safe and conducive for women of all backgrounds to enjoy equal opportunity to grow, lead and succeed in and beyond Edelman.
Employers have a license to lead when it comes to fostering environments that lead to true gender equity. This, in turn, will impact trust in the media and other institutions and shift our current landscape into a new era of trust and certainty – a change that’s desperately needed.
The steps we have taken include:
• Ensuring women professionals are visible in the media: The firm is committed to gender balance across the board – including in the spokespeople it nominates to speak on behalf of the business. This includes media opportunities, speaking engagements, written thought leadership, and internal meetings. Edelman also encourages its female clients to be public facing through media interviews, speaking opportunities and thought leadership activities to build equity, trust, and familiarity.
• Mentorship programs: Creation of an online platform that facilitates connections with people across the network to share advice, experiences, etc.
• Bi-annual pay analyses: To ensure equal pay for equal work.
• Strategic collaborations: External partnerships with the International Women’s Forum, G(irls)20, and United for News aim to make an even broader impact on the issue of gender disparity. The firm also recently signed on to the United Nations We Empowerment Principles to promote the economic empowerment of women at work through responsible business conduct in G7 countries.
“We talk a lot about the gender pay gap, but what we have seen is a gender trust gap, when it comes to the trust women have in institutions – there is a global gap of about 5%. And trust in media, in a country like Germany, the gap between men and women is 11 points. Women are less trusting in institutions and less trusting of media.”
