While the pandemic ripped its way across the world, another disease spread rampantly throughout our country. A virus of misinformation and disinformation — causing a widespread erosion of trust. And we’re now seeing the consequences.
For the last 20 years, Edelman, a global communications firm, has conducted research on the state of trust in various types of institutions — business, government, media, and non-governmental organizations. The 2021 edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer was quite sobering, perhaps understandable given we are coming out of a year like no other. The study sheds light on the pandemic’s impact on trust and the impact that conflicting information sources have had on vaccine acceptance. This “info-demic” has caused suspicion and hesitancy about the COVID-19 vaccine, which further threatens pandemic recovery and economic revival.
But there is hope!
Read the full article on McKnight's.
