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The majority of people surveyed by communications firm Edelman believe that government leaders, … [+]
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After a week marred by a violent insurrection and impeachment proceedings, it’s unsurprising that more people trust businesses than their own government, according to new findings from communications firm Edelman.
Business is the only institution deemed ethical and competent by people globally, according to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer released Wednesday. The company surveyed more than 33,000 people in 28 countries from October 19 to November 18, 2020.
Disillusioned by their political leaders, people are increasingly turning to business leaders for guidance. More than 80% of those surveyed expect CEOs to speak publicly on societal issues, such as the impact of the pandemic, local concerns and job automation. Roughly 56% believe the pandemic will accelerate the rate at which companies replace human workers with AI and robots.
“There is a void in leadership that CEOs must fill,” Dave Samson, Edelman vice chairman of corporate affairs, said in a statement. “It starts with a broader mandate for business that focuses societal engagement with the same rigor used to deliver on profits.”
In fact, 68% of people believe that CEOs should step in when government leaders do not address societal problems, according to the survey. Similarly, 53% believe that when the news media is absent, corporations have a responsibility to fill the information void.
But finding reliable information is proving to be difficult worldwide. More than half of respondents believe that government leaders, business leaders and journalists are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false.
And the difference in trust in the media among supporters of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and sitting President Donald Trump is stark. Fifty-seven percent of Biden voters trust the media, whereas only 18% of Trump supporters do, according to a December Edelman Trust Barometer Post-U.S. Election Flash Poll.
They are able to find some common ground when it comes to their employers. Some 61% of Trump voters and 68% of Biden voters say their own CEOs are the only societal leaders they trust. Despite this, 57% of Americans surveyed find the political and ideological polarization so extreme that they believe the U.S. is in the midst of a cold civil war, Edelman CEO Richard Edelman says.
“This is the era of information bankruptcy,” he said in a statement. “We’ve been lied to by those in charge, and media sources are seen as politicized and biased. The result is a lack of quality information and increased divisiveness.”
As noted by Facebook’s and Twitter’s recent crackdowns on false or defamatory posts, misinformation is rampant. One one in four people surveyed practice “good information hygiene”—or avoiding echo chambers, verifying information and choosing not to amplify unvetted information.
“The violent storming of the U.S. Capitol last week and the fact that only one-third of people are willing to get a Covid vaccine as soon as possible crystalize the dangers of misinformation,” Edelman says.