Trust Through Relationships in Journalism

ABSTRACT

Digital communication technologies have upended the business models and work practices of professional journalists. Moreover, these technologies have altered the relationship between journalists and the public, resulting in blurred boundaries between the two and more avenues for interactions and relationship-building. In this theoretical paper, we argue that scholarship on the sociology of news has to be broadened to include the concept of relational work, which aims to create relational trust between journalists and their audiences. Specifically, we argue that previous sociological and professional conceptualizations of trust in journalism rest on normative values such as accurate, objective and reliable reporting, presuppose cognitive evaluations of journalistic content and minimize the role of journalist-audience interactions. These conceptualizations frequently neglect emotional and social factors alongside the power structures of news production that impact relationships between journalists and their audience and consequently the evaluation of news. We posit that the relational trust that can arise from these relationships may be critical in the overall development of trust in the journalistic institution, particularly in the current post-truth era of heightened political polarization.

KEYWORDS:

• Relational trust
• relational work
• journalism
• professional role
• rationality
• emotionality
• relationships
• community building

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 There are also neurobiological underpinnings that imply an evolutionary imperative for trust as a relational mechanism (Zak, Kurzban, and Matzner 2004). In the context of a trust game, Zak, Kurzban and Matzner (2004) observed the release of oxytocin, a neurotransmitter that positively reinforces human-to-human bonding, when subjects were trusted. In other words, there is both a biological and social reward associated with trustworthiness because it is viewed as a desirable characteristic (Pettit 1995).

2 In Germany, such community outreach activities have been relatively common. The German public radio broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk (HR) for instance frequently conducts quiz shows with members of the public.