This is such a sharp distinction. The idea that the issue isn’t distribution but legibility of the work feels exactly right. As someone who works in a field where process and documentation matter, I know how different it feels when people can actually see how a conclusion was reached. Showing the receipts builds more trust than any personality driven clip ever could. The transparency itself becomes the story.
Brilliant piece and 💯 spot on. This should be a 'must read' in every newsroom - local, regional and national.
Today I published a related story looking at the launch of a new social-first health news brand. My concern wasn't the content or execution (TikTok, Instagram, etc) as the publisher will do it impeccably. Rather the issue is that independent health commentators will do it better, and crucially, more honestly. The fact that Dr Eric Berg has 14M YouTube followers and Dr John Campbell over 3M reflects this clearly. They let the primary data speak for itself. Institutional media tends to avoid the inconvenient truths. That's where honesty comes in...
@Jez Walters, sorry for the late reply here—surfacing after a busy stretch.
You’re spot on about the health news example. It’s a perfect case study for the "Trust Gap." Audiences are increasingly choosing the transparency of primary data over institutional polish. It’s a tough shift for traditional newsrooms to navigate, but a necessary one to understand.
Thanks for the support and for sharing your piece.
@Yoni Greenbaum, you're welcome. It's probably the most important article I have read over the past twelve months and gives me some hope that the news industry at large is finally 'getting it'. You outline the problem with complete accuracy and then put forward the solution. Lynn at Trusting News (in this week's TN newsletter) also expands upon your solution, and gets it 100% correct. My only concern is whether news orgs are too conflicted with either commercial pressures from brand advertisers and/or behind-the-scenes political coercion. That's a deeper rabbit hole.
This is such a sharp distinction. The idea that the issue isn’t distribution but legibility of the work feels exactly right. As someone who works in a field where process and documentation matter, I know how different it feels when people can actually see how a conclusion was reached. Showing the receipts builds more trust than any personality driven clip ever could. The transparency itself becomes the story.
Brilliant piece and 💯 spot on. This should be a 'must read' in every newsroom - local, regional and national.
Today I published a related story looking at the launch of a new social-first health news brand. My concern wasn't the content or execution (TikTok, Instagram, etc) as the publisher will do it impeccably. Rather the issue is that independent health commentators will do it better, and crucially, more honestly. The fact that Dr Eric Berg has 14M YouTube followers and Dr John Campbell over 3M reflects this clearly. They let the primary data speak for itself. Institutional media tends to avoid the inconvenient truths. That's where honesty comes in...
@Jez Walters, sorry for the late reply here—surfacing after a busy stretch.
You’re spot on about the health news example. It’s a perfect case study for the "Trust Gap." Audiences are increasingly choosing the transparency of primary data over institutional polish. It’s a tough shift for traditional newsrooms to navigate, but a necessary one to understand.
Thanks for the support and for sharing your piece.
@Yoni Greenbaum, you're welcome. It's probably the most important article I have read over the past twelve months and gives me some hope that the news industry at large is finally 'getting it'. You outline the problem with complete accuracy and then put forward the solution. Lynn at Trusting News (in this week's TN newsletter) also expands upon your solution, and gets it 100% correct. My only concern is whether news orgs are too conflicted with either commercial pressures from brand advertisers and/or behind-the-scenes political coercion. That's a deeper rabbit hole.