The latest Digital News Report from the Reuters Institute looks pretty black and white at first glance.

Trust in the news has fallen to an all-time low globally (37%), down three points year-on-year. The UK’s trust has fallen further, down five points to 30%, which is also 20 points lower than 10 years ago.

So, what does this mean for brands and communicators?

Well, at GRA, we see opportunity. People are going to a number of different sources and formats rather than relying on one news outlet to keep them up to date.

The modern news journey is no longer linear and it could go something like this: you hear a story on TikTok, go to a trusted news outlet like the BBC to verify it, scroll on your LinkedIn and see what people’s takes are on said story, have a discussion with ChatGPT or Claude to gain more insight and overhear colleagues at work chatting about it.

Importantly, this does not mean traditional media has been replaced, instead, creators and influencers are complementing established news sources.

The ‘platformisation’ of news consumption

In the past, securing coverage online and in print might have been the endpoint for PR professionals. Nowadays, that’s becoming more like the starting point. When a piece of news enters public consciousness, the story travels across several platforms: from social media and podcasts to newsletters and even AI summaries.

This is described as the growing ‘platformisation’ of news consumption. It centres around the fact that people are increasingly encountering news through their social media feeds and algorithms rather than going directly to one single media outlet as their news source.

People have not stopped seeking out information, however, they are doing so more selectively and passively across a wider range of sources than ever before.

What has changed is the trust they put in the person or news outlet that has delivered the news.

Trust must be earned continuously

Trust is a fragile thing. Hard to build and easily broken. It needs to be earned and is built on a number of factors which include:

• Transparency
• Consistency
• Authenticity
• Expertise
• Human connection

We speak about human connection in the GRA office a lot. In a world where we are constantly being communicated to, the stories that resonate and stick in our minds are the ones that we either feel are most relevant to us (the ‘what’s in it for me?’ test) and those that genuinely strike an emotive chord and make us feel something.

While established news brands still carry significant authority, trust can no longer be assumed purely because of a name. It has to be reinforced through consistency, expertise, transparency and relevance. Traditional media still has authority, but it cannot rely on legacy authority alone.

With more information at our fingertips than ever before, it is those news outlets, platforms and individuals who are delivering consistent expertise with transparency and authenticity who will thrive.

The double-edged sword of this rise in information is rising fears around misinformation and fake news. The biggest antidote to this? Yep, you’ve got it – trust. If you don’t trust the source, don’t trust what they’re saying.

News is increasingly being watched rather than read

With the Reuters Institute reporting that more than half of respondents get their news from social media and video networks, video content is king.

Globally, 77% of people now consume online news video each week, and in 45 of the 48 markets covered by the report, more people watch online news video than broadcast TV news.

Broadcasters will be looking closely at TV viewing figures and engagement across their social accounts. They’ll be leaning into the rise of people watching, commenting and sharing news clips from reputable sources as they scroll and packaging their clips up accordingly.

Predictions

With all this in mind, what direction are we moving in? We predict the following:

• Subject matter experts will become more influential

People trust knowledgeable individuals more than faceless corporations.

• Video is key

The most accessible format, video allows information to be digested quickly and easily.

• Trust will become one of the most important metrics in Comms

For years, marketers have obsessed over reach, impressions and clicks. While these are still vital, measuring credibility, reputation, authority and trust is now key to ensure cut-through.

Conclusion

The Reuters Institute annual Digital News Report provides an incredibly useful yardstick in which to measure the public’s perceptions of the news. In a year where at times the headlines could make you feel like the world is going to hell in a hand basket, the fact that the report highlights that support for impartial news remains strong is heartening.

So, while habits are changing in consumption, the appetite for credible and trustworthy information remains steadfast.

If you’d like to discuss how your brand can create more meaningful and memorable communications, we’d love to chat.