Blog
- Trust Velocity = Accuracy × Consistency × Transparency ÷ Time-to-Verify
Trust is no longer a static institutional asset.
It behaves more like a dynamic system which is continuously tested, continuously reshaped, and increasingly defined by movement rather than position.
A growing body of research in crisis communication, institutional trust, and information behaviour points to a consistent finding: trust is in structural decline across public and private systems, and recovery cycles are shortening while expectations of immediacy are intensifying. What is less frequently examined is the mechanism through which this erosion accelerates during crisis events.
The foundations of trust in today’s society are eroding fast.
Across political leadership, corporations and government departments community trust is at an all-time low. Rising inequality, economic insecurity and generational disillusionment are weakening the bonds between citizens, institutions and each other.
There has been a significant missing link in government and organizational communication and strategies over the past two decades.
Despite significant investment in communication teams, campaigns and technologies, trust and reputation continue to erode. The gap is impossible to ignore.
Global research from the Edelman Trust Barometer, PRSA, the Arthur Page Society, Kaplan Research and others highlights the same trend: institutions are struggling with transparency, credibility, and accountability
The Federal Government’s new legislation on Australia’s 000 emergency call service marks a turning point in crisis and reputation management across both the public and private sectors.
By embedding the principle of “never delay in alerting authorities”, the legislation sets a new standard for transparency and accountability. But it also introduces what many communication leaders are calling the “panic paradox.”
The paradox lies in the pressure to report quickly — even before all facts are known.
The ‘walk the talk gap’ appears to be increasing in today’s corporate and political world when a crisis occurs.
Company CEOs are dusting off and reciting their values when media start asking the obvious — everyone is suddenly talking about trust, transparency, or accountability.
But values aren’t meant to be a safety net.
Corporate strategic communication is facing a breaking point today.
Too often, organisations are falling into analysis paralysis—over-engineering plans instead of executing them.
The continuous decline in Trust in institutions and government is seeing a major shift in the old playbook for stakeholder engagement.
CEOs and C-suite leaders are waking up to a new reality: public relations isn’t just about reputation anymore – it is strategy. The 2025 USC Annenberg Report shows nearly 80% of comms leaders now see their role as central to business strategy.
The alarming decline in trust toward corporations and governments today is fuelled by an era of rampant misinformation and disinformation.
One could argue that President Trump has ushered in an era of post-truth politics.
There is a seismic shift underway in the global strategic communication landscape since President Trump began his second term in office in the United States.
This upheaval is redefining the rules of engagement — reshaping communication structures, altering stakeholder expectations, and redrawing the boundaries of organisational positioning and reputation management.
Public trust in institutions is at a breaking point. In the US, trust in government is at its lowest in nearly 70 years. In Australia, 60% of people distrust government leaders, and corporate executives face similar scepticism. The trend is stark across the UK and Europe as well.
Public trust in institutions is at a breaking point. In the US, trust in government is at its lowest in nearly 70 years. In Australia, 60% of people distrust government leaders, and corporate executives face similar scepticism. The trend is stark across the UK and Europe as well.