Australia’s Trust Triangle: strengthening public confidence in government on back of positive 2024 OECD report

In an age of misinformation and disinformation, who do you trust?
In Australia, it’s the government.
The latest trust report from the OECD, puts Australia ahead of the pack when it comes to trust, although with a sizeable exception.
The OECD Australia breakdown released for 2023 shows:

• 46% of us reported high or moderately high trust in the Australian Government, above the OECD average of 39%
• This was up 8 percentage points from two years prior, one of the biggest jumps for any of the 30 OECD countries surveyed.
• A far greater proportion of men (54%) had high or moderately high trust in the government than women (38%) - with that gender gap well above the OECD average.

The trust in the administrative arm of government in Australia is in stark contrast to trust in political parties (34%) and media (42%).

Governments have learned to navigate through the cacophony of communications

What's behind this trust trend?

I'm fascinated by the concept of trust.
As a journalist, author and communications professional, it’s been my currency of trade.
Everything is harder to do without trust. It’s the bedrock for any messaging to hit its target.
And we seem to be going in the right direction in this country.

• The Edelman trust barometer results released in early 2024 reported an increase in public trust of government. I commented then that government communicators could play their part to increase that trust.
• At the height of COVID, the same trust survey found trust had surged as Australians looked for authoritative information. I noted the important place government and business played during crises.

A big driver is that governments have become more adept at messaging Australians.
We amped this up during the global pandemic and a string of catastrophic events, including bushfires, floods and cyclones.
Governments have also learned to navigate through the cacophony of communications  since the fragmentation of traditional media.
But don’t make the mistake of getting sucked in by the Sirens of Social Media.
Social media has made us all news producers and able to create communities of interest.
It has also meant the world has never had more misinformation and disinformation.
The opportunities abound for government communicators who are SMART and take a DIY Newsroom approach.
​Government departments are controlling and distributing information through their own platforms, such as email newsletters, web-based media centres and strategic communications tied to individual programs.

Triangle of trust: a stronger foundation

​These trust survey results indicate government communicators are in the box seat to increase the engagement with audiences.
I see a three-step process - a triangle of trust (not quite the circle of trust as depicted in Meet the Fockers) that will provide a solid foundation for building new levels of trust:
1. Value trust.
Is “trust” part of our conversation as we shape communication and media products? Is building trust part of our strategic objectives for our department, branch or team? Do we measure trust? Is trust more for us than a glib reference we include in our marketing?
2. Research trust.
What is Switzerland, Mexico and Luxembourg doing that put them at the top of the OECD trust table? What is the United Kingdom, Latvia and Slovenia, languishing at the bottom, doing wrong? What do we know about trust and how it impacts on our communities and daily lives? What can we do to engender and improve trust?
3. Act on trust gaps.
The gender trust gap is substantial in Australia. How can we make government communications more relevant and trustworthy for all people, including First Nations people, and the vulnerable and disadvantaged who may have different types of communications needs and access?

We can build a stronger environment of trust - one where it is overtly valued, promoted and protected

Our call to arms

Government communications is one aspect of the trust dynamic.
Some will argue it is the veneer. Each country’s political characteristics, social ethos and nature of public functions are more influential. How individuals interact with their government is no level-playing field.
For those working in government, there’s a call to arms on trust.
The Robodebt royal commission revealed the reputation and proper functioning of our public entities rely on individuals and their choices - good and bad.
As such, we need an environment of trust in which to operate - where trust is overtly valued, promoted and protected.
* Stuart Howie is a media and communications professional, and commentator. He is the author of the award-winning guidebook, The DIY Newsroom.