Video explainer: 3 reasons why trust has surged in Australia, ahead of anywhere else in the world

Who would’ve thought? In government, we trust.

The 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer reveals Australia has enjoyed the greatest increase in trust in institutions of all countries surveyed.

Specifically, trust in government institutions surged 17% on the previous year.
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Communicators, and anyone else in the business of connecting, have a new winning combo for how to cut through

​The biggest factor surely was how Australian authorities and agencies collectively handled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Digging deeper, three drivers explain the surge in trust:

1. Our leaders could control their message because of the time they had on media platforms to talk directly to audiences
2. Experts were front and centre to educate and inform us, as opposed to the filtered or interpreted messaging we might have previously received
3. This critical health and community advice was delivered relentlessly and, for the most part, consistently - day-in, day-out.

I’m not sure we’ll see a continuing rise in trust in Australia. 

But, for communicators and anyone else in the business of trying to connect, we have a new winning combo to cut through the media noise and hyperbole.

And the Edelman research reiterated how we continue to look to business and government for leadership, with trust in traditional media, social media and search engines plummeting to new lows.

Yep, the dynamics of communication have changed profoundly.

>> Learn more in this four-minute video explainer