Five Communications Musts in an Age of Declining Trust and Rising Grievance
Recently, global PR firm Edelman released its 2025 Trust Barometer, a wide-ranging annual study of the public’s confidence in government, business, media and other institutions. The survey, conducted among more than 33,000 demographically representative participants across 28 countries, confirms what many of us already suspected: in a world of increasing polarization, trust has never been in shorter supply.
Among the report’s key findings:
The percentage of people who said that leaders in government (69%), business (68%) and media (70%) purposely mislead people reached record levels.
Employer trust saw a record decline, down 3% globally and 5% in the U.S.
The wealth gap that fuels much of the division in our society is reflected in a corresponding trust gap, with the top 25% of earners having 13% more trust in our institutions than the bottom 25%.
Growing fears over job security, being discriminated against and a “zero-sum mindset” – the belief that the gains of others come at a personal cost – have instilled a sense of grievance toward institutions perceived to have failed at their core purpose.
If there’s any good news in the study, it’s that business fared best among its peers on some key attributes. The percentage of those trusting in business (62%) was higher than NGOs (58%), government (52%) or media (52%). And business was the only one of the four institutions to be deemed both competent and ethical.
Perhaps because it is deemed more trustworthy, business also apparently has greater expectations placed upon it for restoring public confidence. The Edelman study found that respondents look to business to:
Empower their personal success with well-paying jobs or skills training for future employment opportunities;
Take more action to address societal concerns such as affordability, climate change and discrimination; and
Nurture workplace civility that facilitates discussions on contentious issues.
From a communications standpoint, I believe there are five essentials organizations should follow to restore trust, gain loyalty and secure brand value:
Transparency – Trust isn’t just about whether you believe what someone says; it’s also about what you believe they’re holding back. When Tylenol couldn’t tell an alarmed public which of its products may have been tampered with, they earned tremendous trust by pulling all 31 million bottles off the shelves.
Commitment – Organizations are judged not just by their past actions, but also their vision for the future. Show how your plans are consistent with the needs and wishes of key stakeholders, then be brutally honest in keeping them apprised of the progress you’re making toward achieving those goals.
Accountability – Nothing earns trust – and oftentimes, forgiveness – faster than admitting when things go wrong. Say what happened, accept responsibility, then outline measures being taken to ensure it won’t occur again.
Truth – This is a tough one at a time when truth may be in the eye of the beholder. But I’m talking about empirical truth – the kind that can be backed up by facts and evidence. Think of it like seventh-grade math: don’t just give the answer, show how you solved the problem to prove the answer is accurate.
Demonstration – Talk is cheap. Actions speak louder than words. Don’t just say you’re concerned about climate change, put a measurable plan in place to reduce your organization’s environmental impact. Remember, the best PR is to get caught doing something good.