Via Poynter | Can better corrections improve news readers’ trust?
Written on the occasion of Poynter’s adoption of Vett News Cx. See Cx in action and read more from Poynter at poynter.org
By Paul Glader
The path to improve reader trust may be simpler than we realize.
Sure we should develop artificial intelligence tools that serve up accurate information to readers faster and more accurately than humans can. But perhaps we can also find ways to listen and engage with readers better than we have in past decades?
For example, perhaps we can improve the corrections process so that readers are working — in crowdsourced fashion — to improve the accuracy of our news and information? Perhaps we can thank and reward readers who help us improve accuracy rather than treating them as nags.
A loss of trust
Most journalists know by now that the public trust in the news media is at a historic low. Axios reported in January that Edelman’s annual trust barometer showed that 56% of Americans agreed with the statement, “Journalists and reporters are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.”
In a survey by the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia, researchers showed Americans’ growing distrust in institutions such as business, government and the media. It noted that 68% of Americans agree “you can’t believe much of what you hear from the mainstream media” and 63% believe that “media distortions and fake news” are a very or extremely serious threat to America.”
What fewer journalists seem to talk about is that the distrust in media isn’t only driven by political divides and news illiteracy. It’s also driven by a relationship gap, a communication breakdown between news organizations and the public.
Pew Research found 68% of Americans say they lack confidence in news organizations’ willingness to admit when they have made a mistake.
Meanwhile, a Knight Foundation report in 2018 showed nearly 90% of citizens said their trust in news organizations depends on the news organization’s commitment to accuracy and willingness to openly correct mistakes. Most U.S. adults, and 90% of Republicans, say they lost trust in news organizations. On the bright side, 69% said that trust can be restored.
A more recent study from Knight Foundation in 2020 showed that Americans — especially Republicans — haven’t just lost confidence in the ideal of an objective media, “they believe news organizations actively support the partisan divide.” The study showed Americans are concerned about bias in news, intellectual dishonesty by reporters and ideological framing of stories. Meanwhile, 74% of Americans say the spread of misinformation online is “a major problem.”
