Distrust in the Media: How Did We Get Here?

Reflections by Mikael Wagner

There was a time when many people trusted the evening news, their local newspaper, or a handful of journalists to help them understand what was happening in the world. Today, trust in the media has become deeply fractured. Some people believe the media hides the truth. Others believe it has become too political, too corporate, or too focused on ratings and outrage. Still others struggle to know what sources can be trusted at all.

As a young man working in radio and television in community affairs, promotions, and public relations, I was fortunate to work alongside professionals who took their responsibilities seriously. We were taught by our leadership that credibility mattered the most. Integrity mattered and accuracy was essential to building a strong relationship with our public. Often my great boss and mentor would remind our team that trust was difficult to earn and very easy to lose. Building trust is key to being successful. Our goal was not simply to attract attention, but to inform, educate, and serve the community. Our main priority was to provide the truth on every story without taking sides. We were committed to educating our audience with facts so they could make their own decisions. Of course, the media was never perfect, and mistakes were made then just as they are today. Journalists had biases, organisations had blind spots, and important stories were sometimes overlooked. Nevertheless, we had a shared understanding that facts and truth mattered the most.

Today, that trust appears deeply fractured. Some people believe the media is biased and discriminates against certain communities and tend to create fake stories in order to increase the network's revenue and their ratings. Media today has become too political, too corporate, and too focused on creating outrage and obtaining more viewers or listeners. News became faster, more competitive, and more sensational. The pressure to be first often became more important than being right. Still others struggle to know which sources can be trusted at all. The result is a question that seems to be growing louder every year: How did we get here? We have reached a point where so many people distrust the very institutions that were once responsible for keeping the public well informed. What could possibly happen when a society can no longer agree on what is true.

For much of the twentieth century, most people received their news from a relatively small number of sources. Local newspapers arrived on doorsteps each morning. Families gathered around the television to watch the evening news in order to stay informed of what was happening in the world. Radio and television stations provided local updates, community information, and national events. While disagreements existed, many people were at least working from a shared set of facts.

Today, the information landscape looks dramatically different. News is available 24-hours per day. Anyone with a smartphone can become a publisher of a story, regardless, if it's true or false. Social media platforms deliver information instantly and non-stop. The challenge is no longer finding information but in determining what information is accurate and believable. The sheer volume of content competing for our attention has made it increasingly difficult to separate fact from opinion, journalism from commentary, and truth from manipulation.

One of most significant changes has been the growing overlap between news and entertainment. Competition for viewers, clicks, ratings, and advertising revenue has intensified. In many cases, outrage attracts more attention than nuance. Conflict generates more engagement than cooperation. Lessons in life continue to teach us that fear, lies, and fake information travels around the world faster than facts. Stories that provoke strong emotional reactions are more likely to be shared, discussed, and amplified. As a result, some media outlets have increasingly focused on content designed to capture attention rather than provide context and truth. The consequence is that many people now feel exhausted, angry, or overwhelmed by the news rather than informed by it. Often, hate is presented or encouraged through the media.

Another challenge is the growing difficulty in distinguishing journalism from opinion. There was a time when the difference was clearer. Today, commentary, analysis, advocacy, and entertainment are often presented alongside traditional reporting. Many audiences consume information without always understanding the distinction. As a result, people may believe they are receiving objective reporting when they are actually consuming someone's interpretation of events. Healthy societies benefit from diverse perspectives and vigorous debate. The problem occurs when an opinion is mistaken for a fact. When that happens, confusion grows and trust begins to erode.

Then social media changed everything. Perhaps no force has transformed media more dramatically than social media. Social media platforms have given people access to more voices and perspectives than ever before. That has created opportunities for greater participation and engagement, but it has also created new challenges. Algorithms are designed to maximize engagement, but unfortunately, outrage, fear, anger, and controversy often generate the strongest reactions. As a result, extreme viewpoints frequently receive more visibility than thoughtful discussion. Again, false information can spread rapidly. Corrections or the truth will often travel much more slowly. Many people find themselves living inside information bubbles where they primarily encounter viewpoints that reinforce what they already believe. The result is a society that increasingly talks past itself rather than with itself.

Is there a cost of losing trust? Distrust in the media creates consequences that extend far beyond journalism. When people lose trust in information sources, they often struggle to know what or who to believe. Some become cynical, while others retreat into communities that confirm their existing views. Conspiracy theories gain traction. Misinformation spreads very quickly and people tend to believe and accept it as the truth without researching the information. Public discussion or debate becomes more difficult. Any shared reality begins to shatter. The danger is not simply that people distrust the media, but that people begin to distrust every source of information. When that occurs, facts themselves become negotiable. It's alarming when a society that can't agree on basic facts faces enormous challenges in solving its problems.

Trust can't be demanded. It must be earned. Media organisations must continue striving for transparency, accountability, honesty, integrity, and accuracy in their reporting. Mistakes or blatant lies should be acknowledged. Corrections should be visible and standards should remain high so that the faith and trust of society is regained. At the same time, as consumers we also have responsibilities. We must become more thoughtful about the information we consume every day. It's essential that we ask questions, verify sources, seek multiple perspectives, and read beyond headlines. Together, we must resist the temptation to believe something simply because it confirms our existing beliefs. During many years of working in broadcasting, I learned that media literacy is one of the most important skills of our time.

As someone who spent part of my early career working in radio and television, I never imagined that distrust in the media would become one of the defining issues of our time. Yet here we are. The conversation is no longer about journalism. It's about trust in institutions, in information, and in each other. The media is not perfect and never has been. But a society that loses faith in every source of information faces risks of its own. Perhaps the greatest challenge before us is not deciding whether to trust the media completely or reject it entirely but to learn how to think critically without become cynical. Will we ever be able to question without assuming deception and to remain curious without surrendering to misinformation. Stay aware and remember that the search for truth requires both accountability from those who deliver the news and responsibility from those who consume it. When trust disappears completely, it's not just the media that suffers, it's all of us.