Star newsroom takes important steps to address reader trust: Public Editor

For working journalists, the “global trust crisis” that has resulted in trust in media dropping to all-time lows often feels personal.

We know many people distrust journalists because so many people in both our professional and personal lives do not hesitate to tell us so. We understand there is a credibility crisis in media overall and that individual journalists and news organizations must answer for the shortfalls — both real and perceived — in journalism.

Recently, in response to yet another dismal study about plunging media trust, I asked readers to tell me what you want to know about the Star’s journalism. That resulted in more than 200 thoughtful responses that pointed to a significant gap in understanding and many good questions about what the Star’s journalists do daily to bring you news, commentary and other credible information.

While I will continue to address these vital media literacy matters in future columns, I am pleased to tell you that the Star’s newsroom has stepped up with an important new initiative aimed at increasing the trust readers have in the Star and creating greater understanding of the Star’s journalism.

Managing Editor Irene Gentle has initiated an interdepartmental “trust committee” to look into how the Star can foster greater reader trust and develop journalistic and technological tools to bridge the trust and media literacy gap. As the Star’s “reader advocate,” I am happy to have opportunity to participate in the committee to share the ongoing reader concerns that come to the public editor’s office.

The committee, chaired by senior editor Mary Vallis, held its first meeting last week. The first order of business? Rightly, ask readers themselves: What do you think the Star should do to create a stronger bond of trust in its journalism?

We have set up an email address — trust@thestar.ca — and encourage your thoughts.

Gentle believes this focus on reader trust will be “among the most important work we do this year.

“This initiative is the next step to deepen that commitment with Star readers and discover new ways to give the skeptical good reasons to believe in our work too” she said. “It starts with us learning the various ways people are losing faith with what we do and addressing it.

“We feel strongly in the newsroom that we have a responsibility to address this credibility gap, transparently and non-defensively. It starts with us, whether it means telling the story behind the story in a clear and open way, or addressing the small errors, such as typos or a missed street name, that make people doubt our accuracy on the larger issues.

“There is a real disconnect between the lengths we go to at the Star — to verify sources, confirm facts, ensure people have the right to respond to allegations about them, to be fair and accurate, legally and ethically onside — and what some people see and believe.

“Anyone in a newsroom knows how hard journalists work to get great stories, and get them right. And anyone who works in a newsroom also knows how completely inadequate we have been in telling that part of our story,” she added. “We know this because people are telling us: In our own personal lives, with friends or family or neighbours, we hear the distrust in our industry, in general, and sometimes with our organization specifically.”

Trust in a news organization’s journalism is at the heart of the relationship between it and its readers. As I have often said, our core product is not the news, it is credibility. Who are you going to trust to tell you what happens in your world, what matters and why it matters are essential questions of our digital era and its disruption of journalism and the media industry.

Indeed, a report released last year by the Media Insight Project — an initiative of the American Press Institute and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, indicates trust may well be a key factor forward in the survival of the media business.

“It’s not only a journalistic aspiration, but a business imperative,” the report on what makes people trust and rely on news stated. “People who put a higher premium on trust related factors are more engaged with news, are more likely to pay for it, install news apps, or share and promote news with their friends.”

So, tell us: What would enhance your trust in the Star’s journalism — in the newspaper, on its website and its news apps? What is the Star doing right to build trust? What can it do better?

Send your responses to trust@thestar.ca . As always, please be constructive and civil.