In the 1960s, public trust in the media in the United States stood at over 70 percent. Today, it has fallen to below 30 percent. This decline is not limited to the US; similar patterns of eroding trust can be observed in many countries, including Turkey.
The reasons behind this historic drop—and potential ways to reverse it—were explored in the latest episode of the news programme The Timeline. Media scholar Prof. Kirsten A. Johnson of Elizabethtown College joined journalist Abdülhamit Bilici and host Jesse Waters to examine the transformation shaking the media world.
Key topics included the impact of digitalisation, the spread of disinformation, the dual role of social media, and the influence of citizen journalism. Prof. Johnson, known for her work on media ethics and public trust in news organisations, highlighted critical moments when confidence in journalism began to erode rapidly. She argued that restoring trust will be difficult without a renewed commitment to ethical standards.
The programme focused not only on diagnosing the problem but also on possible remedies, offering concrete insights into whether—and how—trust in the media can be rebuilt. The discussion raised important questions not just for journalists, but for anyone who consumes news.
The Timeline is a weekly current affairs programme that examines global politics, society, culture and media from an independent perspective. New episodes are released every Thursday and are available on YouTube and all major podcast platforms.
