Study shows drastic low trust in Canadian media
'This just all boils down to transparency, transparency, transparency,' said Global News TV Journalist Marney Blunt.
Canada's trust in the media is the lowest it's been in seven years. 42 per cent of Canadians trust “most news,” according to a report from The Reuters Institute for The Study of Journalism in 2022 – a drastic decline from 55 per cent in 2016.
Which is extremely concerning.
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(Digital News Report 2022 trust in Canadian Media statistics (Kalkidan Mulugeta)
The COVID-19 pandemic is an example of how much people don’t trust the media. Many were frustrated with how the media was reporting on restrictions, and vaccine mandates.
"You definitely saw that. I covered some of the Freedom Convoys. They came through Winnipeg, and it was definitely evidence that people aren't trusting of the media and didn't want the media really to be present at the Convoys.” said Marney Blunt, a TV Journalist from Global News. “There were some journalists that definitely had lots of verbal assaults hurled at them throughout that, but, it's the importance of getting like all sides of the story."
The heart of the issue
Individual journalists like Blunt are tackling this issue in many different ways – the main being transparency.
"This just all boils down to transparency, transparency, transparency," said Blunt.
Blunt has been a journalist for 10 years, she started with local newspapers and newswires in northern Ontario and Manitoba.
She emphasized a way to be transparent with people is by making community contacts and not just reaching out when you need a story.
“I was doing a true crime series, and some of the victims families I would keep in touch with them and then do a few interviews with them, then also just have conversations that weren’t part of the piece,” said Blunt.
Keeping those contacts with people and actively listening to what’s happening in different communities also helps journalists stay aware of local issues.
“That's really what this is all about. I think,” said Blunt.
The main reason people don’t trust the media is because they think journalists are doing it for money.
“Maybe people think that they see somebody on TV and they think it's more glamorous ... But no, it is 100% not about the money,” said Blunt.
Blunt mentioned that many journalists got into the field because they wanted to make an impact. Journalists being honest about their intentions will help people trust the media more.
“Most journalists went into this job to tell stories to make change and make an impact and hold those in power to account which is also a big one … or to tell the story of a person that wouldn't normally have a voice or a platform … that's really what it's all about,” said Blunt.