The report 'Snap Judgements' by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism investigates how low-trust readers navigate digital media.
For obvious reasons, consumers who read little news and report low interest in news and politics are rarely the focus of news organisations' audience research, but what if we could communicate with this group and reach them more effectively?
Some of the potential solutions outlined by the report would be the responsibility of platforms, relating to the way that they present and promote news from different sources, but there are steps publishers can take.
Perhaps the most important takeaway is spend time reviewing the content most likely to be seen by low-trust users - headlines, main article images, and social copy - and consider the impression it will give. What information is shared by these snippets, what is the framing and tone of voice, and what "snap judgements" could this lead to?
On a macro level, the report shows that familiarity plays a key role in trust, and therefore long-term efforts to raise recognition of news brands should pay off over time.
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