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.

The Edelman Trust Barometer puts it starkly: Australia is now in “distrust territory.” More than six in ten people believe government and business serve narrow interests, not the public good.

At the same time, research from UNESCO adds another layer. Two-thirds of online creators don’t verify what they share. Misinformation isn’t an anomaly; it is structurally embedded in our digital lives. This isn’t a blip. It’s a trend.

We are seeing the consequences play out in real time across Australia and globally. In Melbourne, long considered one of the world’s most liveable cities, youth crime and public disorder are shaking community confidence. In London, just days ago, hundreds of teenagers forced shops to close, with the chaos spreading in real time on TikTok.

These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of something deeper; they show economic pressure, social exclusion and information disorder are feeding off each other. In Australia, this is being fuelled by sustained cost-of-living pressures, housing stress, widening inequality and a digital ecosystem that amplifies division faster than it resolves it.

So where does PR sit in all of this? Right in the middle.

The research doesn’t say PR is failing. But it does show that trust collapses when communication is one-way, defensive and detached from people’s personal experience.

That’s the gap; and it is one PR can close.

Too often, practitioners - particularly across government and large organisation - default to media tactics, reactive statements and polished reputation management. Those skills still matter. But they are no longer enough.

The task now is to recalibrate core practice. They must:

• Give voice to communities, not just institutions. Trust strengthens when engagement goes beyond traditional stakeholders. This means partnering with grassroots organisations and reframing narratives, so communities are seen as sources of solution, not just sites of problems.
• Push leaders to be honest. Leaders must be encouraged to acknowledge failure and invite scrutiny. It takes courage, but it fundamentally resets the terms of public debate.
• Reframe the news conversation. Fear-driven narratives increasingly dominate the cycle. PR has a role in contextualising issues, surfacing root causes, and amplifying constructive, solution-focused responses.
• Help police communicate as humans, not just enforcers. Enforcement language alone hardens fear. Legitimacy is built through dialogue, engagement and a sense of shared identity.
• Advise government leaders and politicians to engage genuinely. Rebuilding trust requires sustained, authentic engagement; not transactional communication or reactive messaging.

None of this sits outside the capability of PR practitioners. Understanding how trust is built, how perceptions form and how reputations are earned has always been core to the profession.

The real question is whether the industry is prepared to apply those skills to something bigger than a media cycle or a campaign win.

The data is clear: social fragmentation is no longer episodic. It is structural.

PR can be a force for repair, or, by default, it can be complicit in further erosion.

Right now, standing still is not a neutral position.

For further information on developing and implementing a Societal Change strategy talk to Robert Masters & Associates.