What are the building blocks of trust?
One way to better understand our current news landscape and the forms of media different people consume is to analyze it and read different publications that range from The Huffington Post to Breitbart.
It’s a good habit to burst out of individual bubbles now and then and be able to understand the way information is transferred in order to decide what to take out of it.
If our goal as journalists is to be trustworthy, we have to understand that trust is earned and understand where people are coming from.
Trusting News, an organization that aims to empower journalists to take responsibility for actively demonstrating credibility and earning trust, encourages the importance of putting trust at the forefront of everything we do.
Transparency and directness are key when it comes to a journalist’s approach into a story and we can see what that approach is by breaking down the intent. It’s important to take the time to understand mistrust and address misassumptions before moving forward.
Trusting News says this is needed both institutionally and day-to-day. From the institutional side it’s a matter of knowing what the publication you’re working for communicates about their brand and the ethics and policy. On the day-to-day side it’s understanding the choices we make and people we choose to interview.
Self-reflection is key in all of this. In class this week we wrote a mission statement on what we aim to report on in our own communities from the get go. I will be focusing on social workers who work with people in the public housing system.
Mission statement:
Tenants living in public housing across New York City experience tension from poor communication with NYCHA. In the middle, there are social workers and housing assistants who are always working to create a bridge.
Although not a geographical community, I’m dedicated to providing the social worker community with information that serves to improve burnout, their mental health and with more resources where they can feel equipped to help those in public housing.
This also includes taking a wide range of voices in the realm of public housing into account.
Knowing why you are a reporter in the first place and why you are reporting on a subject or topic is crucial in every situation. It doesn’t take too long to let people know your intent or mission statement going into a story.
Letting the communities you serve know when you mess up, why you add certain things to a story and don’t say other things does not effect credibility. If anything, it will help build trust.
I’m ready to listen and take in different perspectives with the social worker community and do my best to not approach the story with any prejudged mindset.
