Blogs or traditional media. Who do you trust?

3202878426_3244b10510 There have been some interesting conversations the last week at a local PRSA event and the Minneapolis/St. Paul Social Media Breakfast around the issue of trust. More specifically about trust when it comes to traditional media outlets vs. blogs.

We know the sources of trust have shifted. People no longer trust CEOs (by and large). They no longer look to leadership for answers. However, they do trust their neighbor. Their business colleague. And their families. In essence, they trust “someone like them” according to the Edeleman Trust Barometer. And, increasingly they’re going online for this information by visiting social networking sites, review sites and blogs.

Does that mean traditional outlets like the New York Times and CBS News are no longer trusted sources of information? According to some surveys, traditional media is one step above used car salesman in the trust department.

For me, this argument comes down to one critical issue: Objectivity.

You could make a pretty good case that traditional media have never been objective. Human nature alone gives rise to preferences and biases. As much as most journalists strive to be objective, they all have their personal biases.

However, journalists are trained and paid to research stories. To look at all angles. And to abide by a code of ethics.

On the other hand, bloggers are not necessarily trained writers or researchers. They don’t have to take into account all perspectives. And, really, they don’t a professional code of ethics to live up to. But, trust is growing with this community. Every day.

I find that interesting, don’t you? Why has trust waned in traditional media outlets while skyrocketing for people that often have very strong opinions and in no way are objective or impartial?

As PR pros, we still need the media (and let’s not kid ourselves, they still need us). And, as citizens, we do, too. The third-party credibility traditional media brings is still incredibly valuable. But, on the other hand, blogs add a lot to the marketplace as well. People will continue to turn to them for product reviews, entertainment and news/information.

Who do you trust? And, more importantly, why? I’m curious.

ote: Photo courtesy of HarrietBarber on FlickR Creative Commons

5 Responses to “Blogs or traditional media. Who do you trust?”

prusynski on November 5th, 2009

Arik asks:

Why has trust waned in traditional media outlets while skyrocketing for people that often have very strong opinions and in no way are objective or impartial?

I think the problem is that people no longer believe that traditional media outlets are objective or impartial. If you’re conservative, you believe that the mainstream media are a wing of the liberal end of the Democratic party. If you’re a liberal, you believe that Fox News is not a legitimate news organization. So people are choosing to trust media outlets (blogs) that wear their partisanship on their sleeves, rather than those that claim to be objective, but aren’t.
Don Martelli on November 8th, 2009

I think it’s a mix of both. We increasingly finding out about new products, services, news, etc. through social media channels. However, we still rely and trust news outlets as major news distributors. It’s getting to the point where decisions are made with a mix of both playing a role in the decision. At the end of the day, it comes down to how the end user perceives his or her sources and how much they trust — whether they are a blogger, reporter or a source on Twitter for that matter.
ERforPR on November 8th, 2009

It is very interesting to hear about this shift in trust. I am at Minnesota State University, Mankato right now studying journalism and public relations. The principles, values and guidelines from my very first media writing class are still fresh in my mind, and I’ve learned to carry the goals of fairness and accuracy into every project, class and task I take on.
You’re right. Objectivity, although a wonderful thing to strive for, won’t happen simply because we’re human, and with humanity comes opinion, bias and interpretation, whether intended or not.
Perhaps people have higher trust in blogs and other Social Media outlets because ideas and topics within them are being presented by everyday people, who are sharing their honest experiences. Yes, there may be much opinion and lack of fairness, but many of these discussions are being created and contributed to by ‘regular’ people who are simply voicing what they believe, think. This may seem less intimidating and more real.
Danny Brown on November 12th, 2009

Great question, Arik, and one that could be debated until the cows come home, with solid arguments from both sides of the camp.

I think a lot of it can come down to payment. Generally, most bloggers aren’t paid for their views. The likes of Techcrunch, Mashable, Huff Post and others I see as news sites anyway, not bloggers, so I won’t include these.

But the average blogger doesn’t get paid for their views, so there’s no conflict or higher power telling you to toe the company line. This can (and does) happen with mainstay media.

But this is changing too. Bloggers are being found out and not all of them have been as honest as we would have thought. I’m seeing certain “A-listers” be found wanting when it comes to ethics and business morals, despite their promotion of trust and transparency. So trust is definitely something that asks more questions than it answers at times.

Bottom line? You have my trust until you break it; then you never get it back.
arikhanson on November 13th, 2009

Danny: Interesting points re: “A listers.” I’m a little down on the A-lister crowd, too, but for different reasons altogether.

Also thought your comment about the HuffPo NOT being a blog was interesting. I think therein lies one of the big issues. Many people do. It’s a language issue–and one that’s common in the world we live in. But, your larger point about paid bloggers is certainly valid and one that weighs into my decision making when reading blogs online every day. There’s Mashable. And then there’s the PR Breakfast Club. Those PRBC’ers aren’t getting paid a dime. I mean, unless, Cog somehow opened up her personal coffers

Don: I tend to agree with you. It’s not an “either/or” discussion but a “and” one. Which makes it even more imperative consumers understand what’s going on online. Like Danny said, some people don’t have altruistic intentions. Do we think everyone knows that? Right now: Probably not. Education will be key.

@arikhanson