What we’re reading: on trust

Experts worry that distrust runs deep in the American public

Scholars and advocates worry that growing lack of trust in democratic institutions and the media is a stubborn problem with no easy solutions. Recent public-opinion surveys reinforce those concerns, showing that mistrust not only has a strong correlation with partisanship, but extends to people who are not particularly political. At the same time, survey results show belief in the value of the First Amendment and a strong desire for news that can be trusted.

Partisanship drives trust in institutions

Americans’ satisfaction with U.S. democracy depends on which political party they identify with. That’s the most stark finding from the 2018 American Institutional Confidence Poll, a survey of 3,000 online respondents conducted by YouGov June — July 2018, with support from the Knight Foundation. Indeed, partisanship explains more about people’s faith in democratic institutions any demographic characteristic–young, old, geography, race, and so forth. Researchers found that 76 percent of Republicans are satisfied with democracy right now, compared to 44 percent of Democrats. Republicans have lower trust in the media than Democrats do, and Republicans trust the executive branch more than Democrats do. It may seem like common sense that the people who identify with the party in power will trust the government more than those whose party is on the outs, note the researchers. But scholars have long held that “one of the keystones of strong democracies is…considering democratic institutions as legitimate, no matter which party currently occupies the particular office,” write Sean Kates, Jonathan M. Ladd, and Joshua Tucker in The Washington Post’s Monkey Cage on the findings. “[A] large number of our respondents harbor not a sober disagreement with current policy, but a far more deeply felt distaste. That reinforces an overall picture of citizens deeply riven by partisanship in a way that undermines confidence in U.S. democracy.”

Doubters going to doubt

Writing about another survey, Joshua Benton, director of the Nieman Journalism Lab sees there is similar concerns about a significant group of Americans who are not particularly political. Simmons Research asked 2,000 respondents to rate their trust in 38 specific media organizations. The overall list is somewhat what one would expect, with mainstream outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, and CBS News earning the most trust, and highly partisan outlets such as Breitbart and DailyKos at the bottom. But what Benton finds most concerning are the 13 percent of Americans who say that do not think any news outlets are newsworthy, what Simmons Research calls “the Doubters.” These Doubters are much the same as the rest of America demographically, but they do share certain characteristics, including being less likely to identify with a political party. “Debates about media trust often end up debating a list of things news organizations could do in order to regain it. (Greater transparency! Events in the community! Solutions journalism! Um, blockchain!) But this data suggests that, at least for a small but significant share of the American public, the mistrust goes far, far deeper than a better corrections policy or hiring an ombudsman. It’s a deep-seated, core belief,” writes Benton.

The kids want help

“The findings from our study about young news consumers speak to a deep yearning for journalism to be better, but also a desire for more structure and integrity amid the online chaos young adults often perceive,” writes Northeastern professor John Wihbey about a survey of 5,844 students from 11 colleges by Project Information Literacy with support from the Knight Foundation. The survey found that eight in ten college students agree news is “necessary in a democracy,” but most said that news has fallen short of their expectations in terms of accuracy, independence, and fairness. Whibey writes that there is “disappointment among college students about what news currently is, and a lack of confidence, to some extent, about their own skills for navigating this world.” The analysis includes recommendations about how educators can help young people evaluate what the flood of information, including how to integrate discussion of news in the classroom, bringing context to news coverage, and pressuring social media platforms to do more to empower young people.

Building bridges

Reporters’ Committee for Freedom of the Press released a report based on survey of 2,000 voters and focus groups it conducted that echo findings found elsewhere: trust in the media is low and that political polarization plays a key role in this phenomenon.. But the organization is particularly worried that “there is a lack of urgency around the idea that press freedom is at risk here in the U.S.” and that people don’t “see press freedom as under threat and is much more concerned with perceptions of bias and influence.” The group provides a series of recommendations not just on how to build trust but also on how to best inform the public about threats to press freedom. For example, the organization recommends that the press reaffirm its role of informing the public, sticking to the facts, and issuing corrections when media organizations make mistakes. In addition, the organization argues,”the media and others who wish to build the case to defend the press best leave President [Donald] Trump out of this particular appeal.” When the president’s name is invoked, “[h]is mention polarizes focus groups participants immediately; both sides see him very differently.”