Business Gains Opportunity Amid Distrust in Government and Media
Portland executives weigh in on Edelman Trust Barometer Results

Business Gains Opportunity Amid Distrust in Government and Media

Government as an “institution,” as the Edelman Trust Barometer defines it, went from being the most trusted on a global scale in May 2020 to quickly dropping into a tie with the media as the least trusted institution in this year’s survey of 32,000 respondents from 28 countries.

Ryan Cudney, General Manager of Edelman Pacific Northwest, pointed to heightening polarization and collapsing economic optimism as possible reasons — or outcomes — for this dramatic fall from grace in such a short period of time. 

Joined by Portland thought leaders in an event co-hosted with the PRSA of Oregon, Ryan opened the dissection of this year’s Trust Barometer, which has measured global trust of business, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government agencies and the media for 23 years. 

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A packed room of communicators and executives.

Internal Communicators Become More Imperative 

Not only are the stakes high for businesses, which have held the number one trust spot going on three years, but Ryan said that internal communicators now have one of the most important, and high-stakes, jobs in the U.S. today. 

While it’s probably no surprise that trust in the media has consistently been on a downward trend, with the U.S. harboring the most distrust in the media in 2023, the pedestal that businesses have been placed upon grows taller year by year, not only ranking as the most trusted institution, but the only trusted institution in 2023.

Being viewed as both “competent and ethical,” this year’s research gleaned the following world-wide sentiments about businesses:

  • 78% trust “my employer” 
  • 63% want to buy from brands that align with their beliefs and values
  • 69% strongly expect societal impact from a business when considering working for them

Examining Trust With Portland Executives 

When a roundtable discussion ensued as a way to unpack the statistics, Lance J. Randall, Executive Director of the Black Business Association of Oregon, pointed to the pandemic as an example during which it would have behooved us to trust each other, saying, “Trust eroded when the situation was made political.” 

Adding an example of eroding trust, Therese Bottomly, Editor and Vice President of Content for The Oregonian/OregonLive, said that Portland’s reputation during the George Floyd protests crumbled thanks to national television news channels playing the same violent clip from Portland eight nights in a row, never following the story’s natural progression.

Therese was proud to note that locals turned to The Oregonian/OregonLive for facts during the pandemic and protests, saying that her online audience tripled during this time. To which Ryan added that the Trust Barometer consistently finds the local media to be more trusted than national media, bringing the conversation back around to the role businesses must play in their newfound trust. 

Melissa Havel, Senior Director of Portland General Electric, pointed to the relationships PGE maintains with its customers, especially when natural disasters affect the power supply. Likening trust to a bucket of rain that brims to full over time, when a small bump topples over the bucket, all of that rain — the hard earned trust you’ve worked to build — is lost in an instant.  

“Trust is childlike,” Angela Jackson, Co-Director of the Portland Seed Fund, added to this analogy. “Sparks of distrust build over time until they compound into a large crisis,” she said while noting the recent demise of financial institutions like Silicon Valley Bank. 

These sentiments were summed up perfectly by Jack Isselmann, Senior Vice President of The Greenbrier Companies, who said that businesses must be authentic, ultimately differentiating themselves from the government in the public’s mind. 

Finding Positivity and Support Together 

This brings us full circle to the original topic, which may seem bleak. Not only has trust in the media and government cratered, we’re now facing economic anxiety. But the situation is anything but bleak for businesses, posits Stephen Sklarew, CEO of Synaptiq AI. 

“The most successful businesses were started in the hardest times. Things will get better as more talent comes to the market looking for meaningful work,” Stephen said.

In the end, I always value the insight brought forth by the Trust Barometer. However, taking the extra time to attend an event about this year’s findings helped bring color to the numbers. While hearing the points of view from local executives helped further illustrate the results. And as always, I valued learning from my fellow communicators about how to stay afloat during these turbulent times. 

Together, we will rise to the occasion. 

Jen Barth

Community Engagement & Advocacy Leader, Relationship & Community Builder, Curious Connector (of people, resources, & dots), Solution Seeker, Researcher/Eavesdropper, Occasional Poet

1y

Great info and insights, Amy — thanks for sharing!

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