The Trust in News Project

The Facebook-sponsored Trust in News Project looks at what digital news sources people trust, why people invest their trust in them, and what publishers and platforms can do to help people make decisions about what news to trust online.

The project, conducted by a large team led by Rasmus Nielsen, Director of the Reuters Institute Professor of Political Communication, examines attitudes to digital news in Brazil, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These markets account for more than one billion internet users and a wide range of media systems and contexts.

The research applies both qualitative and quantitative methods as well as ongoing engagement with professional journalists, publishers, and other relevant stakeholders. Engagement opportunities include two fellowships for journalists interested in working on trust to join the team in Oxford, a series of workshops with industry stakeholders, and collaborations with other relevant parties.

The project aims to help advance understanding of what drives trust for different news audiences in different contexts, and to make evidence-based recommendations for publishers, platforms, and others working on issues around trust and news.