Multiple efforts are underway to figure out what makes people trust or distrust the news and what would increase public confidence in journalism. Here are some whose work we’ve been following.
Trusting News
A project of the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri. Working with 30 newsrooms (print, TV and radio) in 2018 to test strategies for building trust, including explaining the reporting process, showing personality and being accessible and responsive. Name to know: Joy Mayer.
The Trust Project
Based at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University. Developed a set of “trust indicators” now being piloted by some news organizations. They include sharing standards, reporter expertise and methods. Name to know: Sally Lehrman
The Membership Puzzle Project
Collaboration between New York University and De Correspondent, a Dutch Journalism platform. Goal is to learn how to “build a sustainable news organization that restores trust in journalism and moves readers to become paying members of an online community.” Name to know: Jay Rosen
Knight Commission on Trust, Media and Democracy
Run by the Aspen Institute. Hosts conversations around the country and commissions research and white papers on trust. Follow updates on Medium.
News Integrity Initiative
Based at CUNY’s Graduate School of Journalism. Supports research, events and other efforts with a $14 million fund. Its mandate is broad, focusing not just on trust but also on news literacy.
Credibility Coalition
Grew out of a “hacks and hackers” project known as Misinfocon. The group is trying to develop indicators that can be used in AI and machine learning to automatically tag stories as credible.
The Media Insight Project
A partnership of the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the American Press Institute. Studies the habits of news consumers and the intersection between trust and economic support of the news media.
Institute for Media and Public Trust
Based at Fresno State University. Goal is “to study media literacy and ‘fake news,’ and develop strategies to restore trust in all forms of media.” Name to know: Jim Boren, former editor of the Fresno Bee.
Journalism Trust Initiative
A European partnership involving Reporters Without Borders, Agence France Presse, the European Broadcasting Union and the Global Editors Network.
