PRs 'less trustworthy than estate agents'

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http://media.guardian.co.uk/marketingandpr/story/0,7494,880155,00.html

 

PRs 'less trustworthy than estate agents'

 

Julia Day

Thursday January 23, 2003

 

Public relations executives have taken over from estate agents as the

professionals the public trust least, according to a survey out today.

 

Research reveals that a " trust vacuum " exists in Europe as the public's

confidence in businesses and governments hits an all-time low.

Trust in the media has risen - with 82% of Brits believing what they read in the

newspapers, according to the survey by PR company Edelman.

But fewer than two in every 10 people said that the paid representatives of a

company are credible sources of information.

James Thellusson, the chief executive of Edelman London, said the high profile

given to the notion of " spin " in the media was one of the factors contributing

to the dire level of trust in the profession.

" The significant amount of attention the media give to " spin " and the

practitioners of spin has played its part.

" There are few political stories nowadays which don't talk about how the story

is being positioned or how it is hoped it will 'play' with audiences, " he added.

" This makes people more aware than ever that information is created and managed

- and this makes them suspicious of the those creating and managing it. "

And advertising is no more trustworthy. According to the survey, only 11% of

people in the UK believe the information given in ads.

Corporate and product and service advertising is the least credible source of

information.

But trust in the media has increased over the past six months, which Mr

Thellusson partly attributes to the threat of war

" At times like these people seek out more information, especially 'independent'

sources, and place more value on those that they perceive as giving them that. I

even think they empathise with the 'news' more deeply at these times, " he added.

This is Edelman's fourth poll of European and American " opinion leaders " -

defined as educated adults who are attentive to both the media and governmental

policy.

And it illuminated Europe's mistrust of big businesses as confidence has been

steadily eroded in the wake of a raft of corporate scandals.

But non-governmental organisations such as charities and campaigning groups are

filling the " trust vacuum " .

The three most trusted brands in the UK, Amnesty International, the World

Wildlife Fund and Oxfam beat the most trusted corporations, including Microsoft

and Bayer, by more than 10%.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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