How journalists and communities work together to confront low levels of trust
Although it’s important that journalists practice diligence and deference, communities need to be willing to engage, forgive and voice concern.
Trust in journalism has significantly declined over the past decade, but some Black communities still trust the media. Researchers identified two essential factors that contribute to this trust: the community's willingness to engage with journalists and the journalists' ethic of love. This ethic includes care, commitment, responsibility, knowledge, and respect.
The study focused on Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, where journalists trusted by Black communities were interviewed. Despite harmful coverage in the past, these journalists were able to build trust by embracing the ethic of love and engaging with the community in meaningful ways. They found that building trust requires two-way engagement, where both journalists and communities must be willing to provide feedback and share knowledge.
Journalists also practiced diligence by spending more time with the community, attending events, and being present in the community beyond the deadlines. Additionally, they practiced deference by respecting community boundaries, rules, and expectations, and acknowledging their limitations in providing all the answers. By adopting these practices, journalists can help rebuild trust with Black communities.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
