PR NOTABLES OF AMERICAN

JAMES C. HAGERTY

Launch of the Edelman Trust Barometer

1909–1981

James Campbell Hagerty served as White House press secretary from 1953 to 1961 under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Hagerty was known for providing much more information on the lifestyle of the president than previous press secretaries had. For example, he covered Eisenhower’s medical condition in great detail. Hagerty instituted the practice of holding regularly scheduled presidential news conferences. Hagerty abolished the longstanding practice that the president could not be directly quoted without specific permission. (=Keystone Press / Alamy Stock Photo)

2001

At the cusp of the new millennium, tens of thousands of protestors swarmed the streets and clashed with police in what came to be known as the Battle of Seattle. They sought to oppose globalization by disrupting the 1999 meeting of the World Trade Organization.

This was an opening salvo of the contentious internet age. Sensing a fundamental shift in the “trust compact” between the populace and societal institutions, Daniel Edelman, APR, Fellow PRSA, and his public relations firm sought to probe that fraught realm of trust, favorability and credibility. (His son, Richard, now serves as president and CEO.)

The first Edelman Trust Barometer, in January 2001, involved surveys of “thought leaders” from Europe, Australia and the United States. Non-governmental organizations emerged as the most reliable source on environmental and social issues. Americans placed greater trust in business than did their counterparts in Europe and Australia, and overall in the US, trust in government and the media lagged behind.

Daniel

The Edelman agency created the Edelman Trust Barometer in 2001, surveying “thought leaders” from Europe, Australia and the United States. Major news outlets, politicians and academics often cite the annual survey. (Courtesy of Edelman)

For 20 years, the Edelman Trust Barometer has often been cited by major news outlets, politicians and academics. Trends emerge, such as the slide in trust in government that began in 2011. By 2014, the trust gap was larger than ever as business significantly outscored government. In a commentary, Richard Edelman noted: “Government lacks the long-term thinking and popular support to keep up with innovation.”

The 2022 report, based on 30-minute online surveys, encompassed more than 36,000 respondents from 28 countries, including from Asia, Africa and South America. It revealed a “cycle of distrust” in which two-thirds of respondents said they were worried that journalists and government leaders “are purposely trying to mislead people by saying things they know are false or gross exaggerations.”

In a silver lining, Edelman noted that business and non-governmental organizations could lead the way to positive change, and “good information can help close the societal divide.”