Publisher growth tactics for election season | WEBINAR

Learn More

SODP

SODP Media

  • Insights
    • Articles
      • Audience Development
      • Content Strategy
      • Digital Publishing
      • Monetization
      • SEO
      • Digital Platforms & Tools
    • Top Tools & Reviews
    • Opinion
    • Podcast
  • Education
    • Publisher SEO Course
    • Events
      • Monetization Week 2025
  • Resources
  • Community
    • Slack Channel
    • Newsletter
  • About
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Editorial Policy
  • English
sodp logo
SODP logo
    Search
    Close this search box.
    Login
    • Insights
      • Podcast
      • Articles
        • Audience Development
        • Content Strategy
        • Digital Publishing
        • Monetization
        • SEO
        • Digital Platforms & Tools
      • Top Tools & Reviews
        • Articles
        • Top Tools & Reviews
        • Opinion
        • Podcasts
        • Audience Development
        • Content Strategy
        • Digital Publishing
        • Monetization
        • SEO
        • Digital Platforms & Tools
        • Headless CMS Platforms
        • Digital Publishing Platforms
        • Editorial Calendar Software
        • Magazine Apps
        • Email Newsletter Platforms
        • More Best Tools Lists
    • Education
      • Publisher SEO Course
        • Publisher SEO Course
        • Events
        • Managing Millions
        • View all
    • Resources
    • Community
      • Slack Channel
      • Office Hours
      • Newsletter
        • Slack Channel
        • Newsletter
    • About
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Editorial Policy
        • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Editorial Policy
    placeholder
    SODP logo
    Become a Brand Partner
    Home ▸ Digital Publishing ▸ Editor’s Note: News Media’s Struggle With Trust and Engagement

    Editor’s Note: News Media’s Struggle With Trust and Engagement

    • Andrew Kemp Andrew Kemp
    June 22, 2023
    Fact checked by Andrew Kemp
    Andrew Kemp
    Andrew Kemp

    Andrew joined the State of Digital Publishing team in 2021, bringing with him more than a decade and a half of editorial experience in B2B publishing. His career has spanned the technology, natural resources, financ… Read more

    Edited by Andrew Kemp
    Andrew Kemp
    Andrew Kemp

    Andrew joined the State of Digital Publishing team in 2021, bringing with him more than a decade and a half of editorial experience in B2B publishing. His career has spanned the technology, natural resources, financ…Read more

    newsletter subscribe

    Receive analysis, tips, and insights from SODP editors directly in your mailbox.

    The Reuters Institute published its latest annual report on the state of the news industry last week, revealing that audience trust in news media continues to slide.

    The UK-based think tank’s 160-page Digital News Report 2023 report (PDF download) — built on data mined from surveys of around 93,000 individuals from across 46 markets — notes that trust in the news fell by 2 percentage points this past year, with just 40% of respondents saying they “trust most news most of the time”.

    The reasons for this lack of trust range from mounting criticism of the news media to greater polarization within public discourse.

    When reading the report, however, the thing that kept popping up at me was the apparent lack of audience enthusiasm for news. The stats not only show a lack of trust in news but also a growing apathy to it.

    The Reuters Institute found that just 48% of its aggregate sample were very or extremely interested in news, down from 63% in 2017. At the same time, only 22% of respondents were actively participating with the news, while 47% didn’t participate at all.

    In the report’s foreword, Reuters Institute director Rasmus Kleis Nielsen made an interesting point that people’s “platform preferences rarely regress”. Nielsen likened this to people in the 1980s unlikely to trade in their mobiles for landline phones upon buying their first home.

    The argument is that as the tide of technology rises it lifts all boats. This applies as much to news platforms as it does to mobile phones.

    Nielsen said: “There are no reasonable grounds for expecting that those born in the 2000s will suddenly come to prefer old-fashioned websites, let alone broadcast and print, simply because they grow older.”

    His comments made me think of deputy editor-in-chief of Swedish daily Aftonbladet, Martin Schori, who argued some weeks ago that many publishers are stuck making online newspapers.

    While there are many steps publishers have to take in order to build trust with their audiences, the first step is to engage them in order to build a relationship with them. If audiences aren’t engaged by the news, why will they care if its publisher is trustworthy or not?

    Interestingly, while those surveyed expressed concerns over how algorithms surfaced news stories in their feeds, content recommendation engines were the preferred choice over human curation. In the end, these engines know their audiences better than the audiences know themselves.

    TikTok’s growing importance as a news source has been widely documented in recent years, not least of which by the Reuters Institute itself. The think tank noted this year that that social media platform reaches 44% of 18-24 year olds across markets and 20% for news. 

    But it isn’t just TikTok that publishers should worry about. The Reuters Institute noted that 30% of those surveyed relied on social media for news, compared with the 22% that relied on direct access to websites or an app. An almost mirrored reversal of fortunes from five years ago.

    Content from our partners

    build ad network guide

    How to Build Your Own Ad Network: A Step-by-Step Guide

    AI, the double-edged sword of creativity, and why publishers must embrace it

    AI, The Double-edged Sword of Creativity, and Why Publishers Must Embrace It

    Why Online Publishers Need a VPN: Protecting Data, Sources, and Revenue

    Why Online Publishers Need a VPN: Protecting Data, Sources, and Revenue

    Digital News Report 2023

    Source: Digital News Report 2023

    The news media has long talked about rebuilding trust, but the approach of the industry at large appears to be missing the mark. It’s not enough to advocate a service’s merits, when the audience’s interest in that service is eroded.

    Reinvention is difficult, but publishers that hold fast to the creation of digital newspapers may find themselves without an audience willing to listen to arguments of trustworthiness.

    Related Posts

    • Freedom of Expression Shrinks as Audiences Lose Faith in News
      Editor’s Note: Freedom of Expression Shrinks as Audiences Lose Faith in News
    • Physical Books’ Enduring Allure and Print Publications’ Potential
      Editor’s Note: Physical Books’ Enduring Allure and Print Publications’ Potential
    • Why Genِ Z Isn’t Where the Money’s At. At Least, Not Yet
      Editor’s Note: Why Gen Z Isn’t Where the Money’s At. At Least, Not Yet
    • An open laptop computer sitting on top of a table
      Editor’s Note: AI: Let’s Take a Breath
    SODP logo

    State of Digital Publishing is creating a new publication and community for digital media and publishing professionals, in new media and technology.

    • Top tools
    • SEO for publishers
    • Privacy policy
    • Editorial policy
    • Sitemap
    • Search by company
    Facebook X-twitter Slack Linkedin

    STATE OF DIGITAL PUBLISHING – COPYRIGHT 2025

    GPP logo

    Managing Millions

    Better audience engagement without the tech headaches

    How to avoid the Goldilocks Tech Trap which wreaks havoc on giving audiences what they want

    11 June 2025

    2 PM BST

    Online Event

    Learn More