Overview:
What makes people trust the news? We asked community members what they look for in a credible news source, from transparency and sourcing to local reporting.
With news coming at us from TV, social media, websites and everywhere in between, figuring out which sources to trust can be difficult. With so many different ways to consume news, people have to make decisions every day about where they get their information and which sources they rely on.
Trust is an important part of journalism. Accuracy, transparency, fairness and accountability can all play a role in how readers determine whether a news source is credible.
In this week’s edition of Bucket List on the Street, we headed into the community to ask people: What qualities do you look for to deem a news source trustworthy?
“Fair and Balanced.”
Joe, 61, visiting from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, said he doesn’t rely on a single source to form his understanding of the news. Instead, he prefers to compare coverage from different outlets and hear a range of perspectives before coming to his own conclusions.
“The funny thing is I’m actually looking for Fox News’ tagline of fair and balanced,” Joe said. “They’re not, but it’s a good tagline. I actually like watching different news and listening to different news sources to get a variety of different opinions.”
Hyperlocal Reporting
For Tyler, 23, from Boulder, trust starts with a news source’s connection to the community it covers. He said reporting on stories that directly affect local residents, while speaking with the people involved, can help establish credibility.
“I think tackling the stories that actually matter to people that live in the area,” Tyler said. “As well as proving you have a reliable source, and you’re reaching out to those people rather than making up your own assumptions definitely provides a lot more credibility.”
Experience and Thoughtfulness
Molly, 56, from Centennial said that there isn’t just one factor that determines whether she trusts a news source. Instead, she looks for a combination of experience, knowledgeable reporters and thorough coverage.
“I think people should look for lots of things, actually,” Molly said. “Longevity in the business, trusted reporters, well educated reporters. And then also, more than anything, the ability to look at multiple sides of a story and really touch base with the people that it affects.”
Proper Sourcing
John, 26, from Castle Rock, said he pays close attention to where a news source gets its information. He said being able to back up claims with credible sources, statistics, or research makes a story more trustworthy.
“I feel like a big one for me is when there are peer-reviewed resources attached to [news],” John said. “I like it when I’m watching a news source and somebody says something and they’re able to source it with some sort of news source or statistic. That’s a big one for me.”
Diverse Perspectives
Jamie, 25, from Denver, said the people delivering the news can be just as important as the information being reported. She looks for diversity among news anchors and reporters, believing that a range of backgrounds and perspectives can contribute to a source’s reputation and coverage.
“I feel like I also look for diversity, especially in news anchors,” Jamie said. “Diversity in age, gender, sexuality, any of that is a relatively good way to tell if something has a good reputation or not. But also I think every news source does have biases about who the reports are reporting to and who their target demographics are, but that’s just how I feel.”
What do you think? What makes you trust or distrust the news? Let us know by commenting on our website or Nextdoor. See you next Sunday with another Bucket List on the Street.
