The issues of trust

Blogging from Studio 1 of the BBC's TV Centre

Trust is in play - what does it mean and how is it shifting?

Jeremy Vine - video on the results of the survey. [Good opportunity for him to rehearse for the local elections . . . in the UK tomorrow]
In the UK and USA more people trust the government than the media - other way round in the rest of the world - especially Nigeria and Egypt.

TV dominant across all ages, with young people trusting the internet as a source more than they do the newspapers.

Blogs - split on level of trust - 25% trust versus 38% don't trust blogs in the USA. Are blogs inherently untrustworthy?

Panel
Nihal Arthanyake - Musician and Radio 1 DJ

Karen - Stephenson - Media Center

David Brain - Edelman

David Schlesinger - Reuters

DS - the medium is not the issue - it's about facts, witness and opinion. TV is about witness. Blogging is also about witness. How is message effectively delivered?

DB - many people don't know or have experience of blogging - so it's not surprising that there is a lack of trust.

KS - It's inconsistent - the survey - about all sides vs accuracy. Stating the bias is part of transparency.

Nihal - I work with people not in the mainstream media - they trust the BBC News - but not Fox News for example. Don't mistake the purpose of the various sources.

DS - volume of material available makes access to content different now. But we still need to verify the source and provenance of the news and opinion we are transmitting.

KS - we are a long way along across the virtual divide.

DB - blogging has changed the way in which corporates behave. Potential to influence the way big companies behave.

Q - from audience - viewpoint of media has narrowed - there isn't digital inclusion and this is an issue.

DS - says the role of journalism is to try to make sure as many voices as possible come across

Power of the web can break new bands and deliver new ways of accessing music for example.

DB - looking at the issue of trust - it goes NGO, Business, government. Democratistion of trust.