Understand the impact of trust deficit
A new survey finds that politicians, advertising executives and journalists are the least trusted professionals. What's impact on PR professionals who need their help to communicate key messages?
Trust and confidence are important for all businesses and organisations. They are a key component in a strong and positive reputation. In the post-Covid era there has been a lot of discussion about there being a trust deficit among people towards certain professions. So it is interesting to see what that looks like in the latest Ipsos Veracity Index that has been published. It ranks certain professions in relation to trust. Professions that are the most trust to tell the truth appear at the top but it is always those at the bottom that I am drawn to.
The most trusted professions for 2023 were nurses, airline pilots, librarians, doctors and engineers. It is easy to see why some feature at the top; nurses and doctors help us when we are at a most vulnerable, airline pilots efficiently help us get around for work or leisure. I am struggling to remember the last time I met a librarian so perhaps our views are clouded by those we have known in the past.
At the opposite end of the table, politicians are at the bottom with trust at the lowest it has been since 1983 when the survey was started. They are closely followed by government ministers, advertising executive, journalists, and estate agents. Interestingly, TV newsreaders have seen a fall of 16 points in trust in them which is also the lowest recorded.
The police have seen a continued decline to the lowest level since 1983 as well. The fall since 2019 has been dramatic as it is down by 20 points. They are still in the middle of the table but are only just above ‘the man and women in the street’.
Impact on PR
Why does all this matter? I see it as incredibly important. It is the police, politicians and the media who will be at the centre when emergencies, disasters or crises occur. They will be telling people what they need to do and how they should respond to what has happened. If people don’t trust the information that is being provided by the responders or trust that the media are accurately reporting it they will not listen and act accordingly. It puts warning systems through the media at a huge disadvantage. For anyone working in communication in those low ranking professions it is vital to review your crisis communication approach. You will need to move quicker, say more, show more, and work harder to build the confidence in what you are doing.
This challenging situation should also be driving what we do daily. Building a positive reputation is important for those moments when a crisis happens. It will mean people are open to listening to what you have to say about the situation and will allow you to recover quickly. PR and communication professionals need to look at whether what they are doing on a daily basis is having an impact. If it isn’t what more should we do, how should we adapt our approach and actions?
For those languishing at the bottom of the Veracity Index the response should not be to just throw lots of communication activity at it with a view to rising up the list. Throwing PR activity at a lack of trust is never going to achieve the required results. It is about looking at why this has happened, why these views are held and then to develop a whole business response to it. Reputation is not just an issue for PR and communication it is important to all parts of the organisation.
Amanda Coleman is a crisis communication expert and consultant, founder of Amanda Coleman Communication and the author of Crisis Communication Strategies. Read the original post.