Screenshots of some examples in the Trusting News Newsroom Example database.

See how newsrooms are building trust by searching hundreds of examples in new Trusting News database

It’s usually not hard to convince journalists there’s low public trust in news, or that newsrooms being more transparent and credible are worthy goals. Oftentimes, the challenging part of our team’s work at Trusting News is helping journalists figure out how to implement transparency elements and trust strategies into their day-to-day work amidst busy schedules and limited resources.

That’s why we’re excited to announce a new version of the Trusting News database of newsroom examples that makes it easier and more efficient for you to search and find examples of how you can be more transparent and credible through your work. (Special thanks to Hilary Niles for setting up the framework of this database.)

The database includes hundreds of examples showing how newsrooms have built trust with their audiences, from how to tie subscription asks to your mission and goals, to explaining crime coverage and anonymous sourcing.

These examples come from dozens of local newsrooms we work with, as well as newsrooms we’re not directly connected with but are doing work that exemplifies strategies we recommend.

We’ve broken up the newsroom examples into seven different categories.

• Advertising and Funding
• How News Works
• Ethics and Values
• Bias and Fairness
• Engaging with Users
• Who are Journalists?
• Story topics

We recommend you start on this page, which links to each of the above categories. Or if you want to really dive in, you can browse through the whole Airtable database here. (If you have questions about how to navigate the database, continue reading below for more detailed instructions.)

We hope you spend some time with this database and get inspired by what other innovative newsrooms are doing. If you have an example you’d like us to consider adding to the database, let us know here. And if any of the examples you find in the database help inspire your own work or you have questions on how to implement transparency, let us know on Twitter or email us at info@trustingnews.org.

How to search, sort the database

Watch step-by-step instructions on how to sort and search the database below, or scroll down for written instructions.

Here are step-by-step instructions for how to use the Trusting News newsroom example database, trustingnews.org/examples.

We recommend you start on the Newsroom Examples page on the Trusting News website, where you can then select any of the topic pages that interest you.

On each topic page, you’ll see a few stand-out examples highlighted at the top of the page.

Here’s a look at the Advertising and Funding page.

From there, you can scroll down to see an embedded database that has more curated examples within that topic category.

Here’s a look at the embedded database on the Advertising and Funding page.

You can browse through and see which categories each example falls under, read a takeaway written by the Trusting News team about what’s important and relevant about the example, see which newsroom the example came from, when it was published, as well as a link to the original post.

If you’re looking for more specific information, you can use the filter, group, or sort options located on the top bar of the database.

Let’s show you an example search

Say you were looking for really specific examples of how newsrooms have used trust strategies to market and build digital subscriptions.

You’d head to the Advertising and Funding page and then scroll to the bottom of the page to the database (or, you can skip straight to the full Airtable database.) Click the Filter button, add a condition, then select to show records where the Title or Takeaway contains the word subscription.

Hit enter, and then you’ll see a list of examples specific to subscriptions.

Here’s an example of how you could sort for examples that relate to subscriptions.

You can then copy and paste any information from this database to save or share the idea, or go to the bottom right corner and select Download CSV.

You can also use the Hide fields option to hide things that might not be relevant to you, such as the publication date. Or, you can use the Group or Sort buttons to organize examples based on what you’re more interested in.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our team on Twitter or at info@trustingnews.org.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Beyond looking at newsroom examples, another great way to get ideas for actively earning trust and demonstrating credibility is to subscribe to our weekly newsletter, Trust Tips. Quick, actionable ideas and tips will arrive in your inbox each Tuesday, along with announcements of new training opportunities.

At Trusting News, we learn how people decide what news to trust and turn that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. We train and empower journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. We’re co-hosted by the Reynolds Journalism Institute and the American Press Institute. Subscribe to our Trust Tips newsletter. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook. Read more about our work at TrustingNews.org.