As totalitarian regimes attempt to spread their tentacles, officials don't respond positively to local journalists' interview requests.
Reporters' queries about their alleged illegal activities or questionable actions keep rising, whether they're taking bribes, making unilateral decisions concerning restrictive laws, or about the local zoning and backroom plotting. These so-called public servants appear more interested in achieving total control and lining their pockets with developer money rather than responding to their local constituents' concerns.
We must create moments for the reader when something they thought was true falls away to reveal what was true. There's a realization when everything up to that point still makes sense, but in a different, more exciting way. This creates a robust emotional response that results in a lasting impression.
Perspective is also critical. For example, the residents of East Palestine are suffering. But their vote had consequences, and most of these people elected the Republican administration that relaxed and blocked railroad safety regulations that might have prevented this horrible accident.
Almost a month after the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials in Ohio, the twice-impeached toxic former guy visited and lied to the people of East Palestine and blamed Biden and the Democrats, who are the ones who are focusing on infrastructure and repairing the damage done by the previous GOP administration. https://cimages.me/content/toxic-Donald-Trump
The need for fact-checking, local newsgathering, and investigative journalism increases as officials increasingly become more insulated from public scrutiny.
According to a Gallup poll, only 36 percent of Americans trust the media. This is disheartening. As an insider, there are a few things editors and newsrooms should reportedly do to increase trust.
Cover news from all sides. This is core to a hyperlocal mission — sharing information from multiple sides of the spectrum. It's helped differentiate the brand and grow trust among our users. Stay balanced. The Associated Press and Reuters do an outstanding job, particularly as international brands. https://www.reuters.com/world/
https://apnews.com/hub/world-news?utm_source=apnewsnav&utm_medium=navig…; These genuinely adhere to their Principles, and we can feel a sense of balance, perspective, and thoughtfulness in their approach to journalism. Full disclosure: I was a NY Bureau Chief for AP, so I listed Reuters first. I enjoy friendships and colleagues at both.
Expand our roster of experts. There tends to be a pattern among reporters (I was guilty of it, too, of repeatedly returning to the same voices. The more reporters can showcase different points of view, the more it helps readers feel trust. Engage influencers. Americans have come to trust influencers on social media to get a lot of their information and recommendations on how to spend their money. The credibility of influencers can vary widely, of course. Still, they've built powerful solo brands around their expert knowledge base, whether health, fitness, or technology. Through one lens, these influencers are competitors to mass media. But viewed another way, they can be sources who can provide leads or context for stories and sometimes become partners to media brands where integrity and common interests intersect.
Get out of the inner city. Many large media outlets are headquartered on the coasts and in major cities. Journalists, news executives, reporters, and editors can listen to people and try to understand their worlds and challenges the more they can bridge some of these gaps in trust. You'll never convince everyone; some people want to hate any voice that espouses something other than their beliefs. But I come from the South, and every time I go home to the coast and hang out in the bars, bait shops, and restaurants, talking and listening to the locals, I learn something that helps me see an issue from a new perspective. Go to a local gathering place, order the Special, and listen while you eat.
If we read something that seems outlandish, drives us into a fit of rage, or that rabbit hole of despair, Check it out!
As disinformation is growing in sophistication, it is more challenging to identify. There are some excellent basics — such as reading beyond a headline to see if there are actual supporting facts; taking a moment to examine the author (do they have bot behaviors on their social account, such as posting at all times of the day, or propagating highly polarizing political content); doing a quick search to see if this information is anywhere else from a reputable source; being wary of doctored screenshots that don't have a link to a head. There are many good guides online with all sorts of good tips. But at the end of the day, pausing to question what you are reading can be one of the best defenses.