The most important asset in the news business is trust. When viewers are seeking information, they want to know that it is reliable, especially in the new era of fake news. And if a newscaster loses trust with his or her audience, it’s not long before they see the exits or are reassigned. Just ask Dan Rather or Brian Williams.
During one of the most pivotal and dramatic political moments in our history, millions of Americans are seeking credible news sources to help them make informed decisions. And yet it seems wherever we turn—TV, the Internet, or the Twittersphere—we’re confronted by a tidal wave of opinion and spin that makes it almost impossible to find honest commentary on the day’s top stories.
In today’s world, the battle for our trust is often fought along partisan lines. But there’s more to the story than just our ideology. Through years of research, experts who study language have actually isolated patterns in human speech that cause us to trust (or distrust) someone.
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