The Trust Gap: How and Why News on Digital Platforms is Viewed More Sceptically Versus News in General

Abstract

In this report, we examine the relationship between trust in news and how people think about news on digital platforms, drawing on an original survey collected in the summer of 2022 in Brazil, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We find a ‘trust gap’ between how much people in all four countries trust information in the news media in general and news found on platforms, which they are more sceptical toward. At the same time, people have mainly positive feelings toward the platforms themselves. These differences are explained by reasons people express to use platforms, which are often about solving daily tasks or connecting with others, and less about news and information. Our results indicate that the challenge for news organisations may be less about an erosion of trust due to their being seen on platforms and more about being seen at all in these spaces.