Trust, endangered species in global scene – Expert

Jordan Rittenberry, Ederman MD for Africa has said that trust in the global scene is in crisis. This, he ascribed to the pervasiveness of Fake News. Ederman who made this known during a presentation of the 2017 survey of trust recently in Lagos disclosed that, for the first time in the seventeen years history of the survey, there was a decline on all four of the parameters measured.

According to him, “trust has declined in twenty one countries of the twenty eight surveyed with a three point drop across board in the Trust and Integrity Index.

The result showed that the masses are rejecting established authority and determining how government acts so we see an inversion of the pyramid where the Authority or Informed Public are having to deal with economic and political decisions driven more by popular sentiments.

In the summation of the report ‘Facts matter less’. According to the report, he continued, 52% of people never or rarely change their positions and they believe search engines more than human editors.

People believe Social media is more credible than traditional media. Ha! Although, social media also declined, Traditional media shows the steepest decline. Official sources are also suspect and peers are just as trusted as experts. God help us!

“Although this survey did not include Nigeria, South Africa being the only African country surveyed, the results very much speak for us. We are in serious trouble.

I became somewhat obsessed with truth in public communication as I witnessed an unprecedented level of misinformation in traditional and social media in recent years which shape public perception and of course inform action.

Fake news, alternate facts and post truth are new words and phrases that have crept into our lexicon of late for a term which I previously called ‘the public lie’ adopting Professor Wole Soyinka’s definition. It is a matter of concern that feelings now matter more than facts in determining a course of action.” He noted.

On his part, Isreal Jaiye Opayemi MD of Chain Reactions equally noted, the rise of populism has seen the mass population wrestle control from the elite (Brexit and Trump).

This has implications as it can sweep governments to power and sweep them out in a whim. There are huge concerns where people are more inclined to trust news on social media with all the fake news and manipulations more than traditional media.

The challenge is as a result of traditional media following social media as opposed to setting the agenda and ensuring that they report ‘ the most credible version of the truth’ The Nigerian media must reinvent itself and shake itself from the overbearing influence of Publishers who impose their agenda and politics on the editorial content of their media.