Communication is no longer about messaging. It’s about trust.

Trust in institutions is falling, and communicators are working right at the fault line.

Globally, confidence in traditional media and government continues to decline. In Australia, fewer than half of people say they trust the government, and many believe media organisations prioritise clicks, audience growth or ideology over informing the public.

“69% of Australians believe that it is becoming harder to tell if news is from respected media or individuals trying to deceive people. Australians are questioning the credibility of the media sector.” – Edelman 2025 Trust Barometer

The Edelman 2025 Trust Barometer found only 47 per cent of Australians trust the government, which dents the public service’s ability to influence attitudes and behaviours.

Trust isn’t a “nice to have” for communications. It directly affects whether people listen, believe, comply, or change behaviour. When trust erodes, even accurate information struggles to land.

At the same time, misinformation and disinformation are spreading faster and further than ever. False or misleading claims move quickly through social media, messaging apps, traditional media and, increasingly, AI-generated search results. They often exploit emotion, uncertainty or cultural issues rather than facts. Repeated exposure can normalise untruths, making them feel familiar and plausible even after they’ve been debunked.

A simple example illustrates the challenge. In 2024, social media posts claimed a Cairns high school had installed a giant litter tray for students who “identify as cats”. The story spread rapidly because it felt shocking and tapped into wider culture-war narratives. It was completely false. Australian Associated Press FactCheck traced it back to an international hoax, and the Queensland Department of Education confirmed the claim had no basis in reality. But by the time corrections circulated, the narrative had already travelled far and wide.

For communications professionals, this is the new operating environment. Authority can no longer be assumed. Official messages are often met with scepticism, and audiences are quick to suspect bias, spin or manipulation. Over time, this raises reputational risk and increases the stakes for getting communication right — quickly, clearly and credibly.

Responding to this challenge isn’t about issuing more corrections or pushing harder on key messages. It requires a shift in skills and practice.

First, risk sensing and early detection matter more than ever. Spotting emerging misinformation early requires active monitoring across social media, mainstream media, community spaces and AI tools and the ability to identify when a story is gaining traction and why. This isn’t just a media role – it’s every comms person’s job to listen to what is happening out in the world.

Second, rapid verification and disciplined fact-checking are now core professional skills. Communicators need their spid-y senses turned on full volume. We need to be able to quickly assess what’s true, what’s uncertain, and what’s false by checking primary sources, knowing who to speak to, and understanding the data. Speed matters, but accuracy matters more. Trust is damaged far more by confidently sharing incorrect information than by taking a moment to verify.

Third, clear, transparent, evidence-based messaging builds credibility over time. Writing plainly, avoiding jargon, citing evidence in accessible ways and explaining decisions or trade-offs all help audiences understand not just what is happening, but why. Being transparent about uncertainty can strengthen trust rather than weaken it.

Fourth, communicators need narrative and prebunking capability. In a polluted environment, correcting misinformation isn’t enough. Positioning truthful information in ways that are memorable, emotionally intelligent and easy to recall and warning audiences about likely misleading claims before they encounter them, helps prevent false narratives from taking hold.

Fifth, the government can’t act alone. Restoring trust is a challenge across institutions, including business, NGOs, media and government at all levels. Communicators have a role in proactively seeking out partners with similar objectives who want to collaborate. This requires the government to share power and information, something that doesn’t come naturally. Finding opportunities to genuinely partner, collaborate and empower will send stronger signals than the government can do alone.

Finally, empathetic engagement is essential. Misinformation thrives where people feel ignored, misunderstood or dismissed. Edelman recommends addressing the grievances that underpin mistrust. Listening, acknowledging concerns and communicating with humility builds relationships that make accurate information more likely to be trusted and shared.

In this rapidly moving environment, communication isn’t just about messaging. It’s about protecting trust, and that has become one of the most important responsibilities communicators carry.