2022 Edelman Trust Barometer
Societal leadership is now a core function of business.
Edelman has studied trust for more than 20 years and believes that it is the ultimate currency in the relationship that all institutions — business, governments, NGOs and media — build with their stakeholders.
Government and Media fuel a cycle of distrust.
Vicious cycle of distrust fueled by government and media.
We find a world ensnared in a vicious cycle of distrust, fueled by a growing lack of faith in media and government. Through disinformation and division, these two institutions are feeding the cycle and exploiting it for commercial and political gain.
Business’ societal role is here to stay.
We see an even greater expectation of business to lead as trust in government continues to spiral. But this is not a job business can do on its own. Business must work with all institutions to foster innovation and drive impact.
All stakeholders hold business accountable.
The Report's Methodology
The 2022 Edelman Trust Barometer is the 22nd annual trust and credibility survey. The survey was powered by Edelman Data & Intelligence (DxI) and consisted of 30-minute online interviews conducted between November 1 and November 24, 2021.
Top Findings
1. Business’ societal role is here to stay.
People want more business leadership, not less.
2. Demonstrate tangible progress.
Restore belief in society’s ability to build a better future: show the system works.
3. Focus on long-term thinking.
Solutions over divisiveness; leadership must focus on long-term thinking over short-term gain.
4. Provide Credible Information.
Trustworthy, consistent and fact-based information is critical to breaking the cycle of distrust.
More findings from the 2022 report
- 85% are worried about losing their job, and 75% about climate change.
- Scientists are the most trusted members of society (three in four people); government leaders are the least trusted.
- Only four in ten say government can deliver results.
- Two thirds believe journalists, government leaders and business leaders are deliberately misleading them.
- 77% trust their own employer, and 65% believe their employer’s communications over other sources.
- 81% say CEOs should be personally visible, and 60% want business to do more on climate change, economic inequality, retraining and racial injustice.
- Fear of fake news being used as a weapon reached an all-time high of 76%. In Spain, trust in institutions scored 45 points.
“The media needs to return to a business model that replaces outrage with sobriety, clickbait with calm authority.” — Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman
Failure of leadership makes distrust the default.
Download the report, explore the findings and learn how we can help your company bridge the gap.
More Edelman Reports
The Edelman Trust Barometers includes data on trust in businesses, media, government and NGOs in Portugal and globally — an essential reference for any corporate communication strategy.