Blame for the financial and political chaos of 2011 landed at the doorstep of government, as trust in that institution fell a record nine points to 43 percent globally, according to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer. In 17 of the 25 countries surveyed, government is now trusted by less than half to do what is right. In 12, it trails business, media, and non-governmental organizations as the least trusted institution. France, Spain, Brazil, China, Russia, and Japan, as well as six other countries, saw government trust drop by more than 10 points. Government officials are now the least credible spokespeople, with only 29 per cent considering them credible. Nearly half of the general population say they do not trust government leaders to tell the truth. Although business experienced fewer and generally less severe declines in trust, it has its own hurdles to clear. Trust in business fell globally from 56 per cent to 53 per cent, with countries like France and Germany, in the heart of the Eurozone economic crisis, experiencing double-digit decreases. Lack of confidence in business spread to South Korea, where trust dropped 15 points. China was the only country to see a significant increase in trust in business, rising from 61 to 71 per cent. CEO credibility declined 12 points to 38 per cent, its biggest drop in nine years. In South Korea and Japan, it dropped by 34 and 43 points, respectively. In the midst of this systemic decline in trust, a “person like me” has re-emerged as one of the three most credible spokespeople, with the biggest increase in credibility since 2004, and now trails only academics and technical experts. Regular employees jumped from least credible spokesperson to tied for fourth on the list, with a 16-point record rise. Social-networking, micro-blogging, and content-sharing sites witnessed the most dramatic percentage increase as trusted sources of information about a company, rising by 88, 86, and 75 percent, respectively. Taken from Edelman Trust Barometer Global Press Release
Trust in business
Facts & Figures Archive
2019
April -
Calling all young communicators
February -
Does business really care about the SDGs?
2018
December -
The ethics of branded content
November -
Are millennials losing faith in business?
October -
Trends in global employee engagement
April -
In experts we trust... again?
March -
Brave new worlds
February -
Experts regarded more trustworthy than peers
January -
Are you GDPR ready?
2017
December -
Asia-Pacific Communication Monitor 2017
November -
Exploring the new employee economy
September -
Pro-business, but expecting more
July -
Expecting the personal
June -
Employee engagement dips
May -
CEOs worried about trust
February -
Trust in crisis
January -
The drivers of uncertainty in 2017
2016
December -
Digital disconnect in risk management
September -
Companies face employee loyalty challenge
April -
Global perspectives on risk
March -
Digital continues to climb
March -
Digital continues to climb
2015
December -
The factors at play in risky business
December -
Asia-Pacific Communication Monitor
September -
The future of corporate communications
April -
Staying on the front foot
March -
Looking at risk around the world
February -
Trust and innovation
January -
Trust in Asia Pacific
2014
December -
Public affairs salaries in Asia Pacific
November -
Asia-Pacific governance survey
November -
Playing to win in the reputation economy
October -
Busting the digital media myths
August -
Fighting to be heard
June -
Influencing the influencers
February -
The real value of reputation
January -
Communicating employee value
2013
December -
Facing a company crisis
November -
The key to growth
October -
Making the grade when stakeholders rule
August -
Effectiveness in community building
June -
Great expectations for CSR
April -
Journalists on PR
March -
Crisis in leadership
February -
Identifying the champion brands
January -
The big issues
2012
December -
Creativity in PR
October -
Qualifications for communicators
August -
The Rising CCO
April -
The role of business in society
February -
Trust in business