For much of the 20th century, a few large media institutions dominated the news landscape in the United States. However, rising polarization, declining trust in media, and disruption from digital technologies have led to a more fragmented media environment today. This erosion of a shared civic information space has implications for public engagement and the spread of misinformation. Rebuilding trust will require newsrooms to better understand and serve their audiences at a local level, while also harnessing positive changes from new models of journalism.

1. Understanding the trust problem:
The public, the press and the
credibility deficit
Jesse Holcomb
Assistant professor, journalism
Calvin College
Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism
Columbia University School of Journalism
@jesseholcomb

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20th century U.S. media model: an anomaly, not the norm

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Happy accident of politics, economics & technology

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For much of 20th century, institutional media dominated civic discourse
At their peak in 1980, the three evening network newscasts (CBS, ABC,
NBC) were being watched by 75% of all television households. Source:
Harvard’s Shorenstein Center

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American politics was less polarized, and mass media had
an interest in appealing broadly to ‘interlocking public’

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That worked pretty well for
awhile

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Polarization began to increase

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Trust in media began declining after peaking at Watergate
Its highest point was reached in 1976, at 72%

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It’s not just a problem for journalism

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Over time, new competitive media marketplace emerged

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Digital revolution disrupted journalism’s business model &
reshaped advertising, attention economy

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Majority now get news on social platforms; FB leads

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Declining revenue and circulation have hollowed out newsrooms
39%
Percent decline of
newsroom staff 1994-2014,
according to ASNE

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2017: Erosion of the civic information commons

16. Total news industry revenue now little more than half of
what it was a decade ago
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17. Strained resources > weaker journalism > public disengagement
• 31% of Americans have deserted a particular news outlet because it no
longer provides the news and info they had grown accustomed to (2013)
• When asked what they noticed most, 61% said “stories are less complete”
• 24% said “there are fewer stories”
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Pew Research data: Most Americans have some trust in
the news media, but few have a lot of trust in the news
media
Source: Survey conducted Jan. 12-Feb. 8, 2016.
“The Modern News Consumer”

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Friends, family, social media LESS trusted than news orgs
Source: Survey conducted Jan. 12-Feb. 8, 2016.
“The Modern News Consumer”

20. Fertile ground for misinformation
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Source: Survey conducted Dec. 1-4, 2016.
“Many Americans Believe Fake News Is Sowing Confusion”

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What are facts, anyway?

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Balkanized media landscape on full display
Source: Benkler et al, Columbia
Journalism Review, March 2017

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How can we get things back to the way they were?
We probably can’t, and that might be the wrong question

24. Rebuilding journalistic (and civic) trust might start at your doorstep
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Getting beyond trust as an end unto itself
Look what happened to the trust gap after all the hard-hitting journalism
last year

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Don’t dismiss insurgency
Instead, help us understand & harness it for common good
Source: Zuckerman, Medium, August
2017

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A chance to better understand and build relationship with your community

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As the economics of journalism shifts to the audience, so
too must newsrooms pay attention to the audience

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Good news is that innovation is happening, sometimes quietly

30. Understanding the trust problem:
The public, the press and the
credibility deficit
Jesse Holcomb
Assistant professor, journalism
Calvin College
Fellow, Tow Center for Digital Journalism
Columbia University School of Journalism
@jesseholcomb