Trust Me: The Public, The Press, and The Credibility Deficit

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | At no time in recent memory has the role of the news media been under more scrutiny than in the Trump era. The public’s trust in news organizations has hit record lows. News organizations’ ability to provide robust accountability journalism is weaker than ever. Technological disruption has paved the way for new voices to contribute to—and manipulate—the information environment. How did we get here? If we listen to what the data has to tell us, we might find some clues about what brought us to this point, and how a media-saturated public charts a course forward in a politically polarized nation.

Jesse Holcomb is associate director of research at Pew Research Center. He leads research that focuses on the information revolution, including its impact on journalism, the public and civic life. Before joining Pew Research Center, Holcomb held writing and editorial roles at the Public Interest Network and Sojourners magazine. He received his master’s degree from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs and later served as adjunct faculty there. Holcomb is an author of studies on information credibility, the changing news ecosystem, non-profit journalism, social media and news usage, and media coverage of religion. Holcomb speaks to U.S. and international audiences about the Center’s research.