As the main channel for information on the workings of institutions and their agents, the media have the potential to influence how citizens perceive and trust their institutions. The decline in institutional trust in recent decades raises concerns about the very survival of democracy, and the role played by the media in its decline. Let’s explore the media’s ability to influence institutional trust.
Trust is the cornerstone of most social relationships. It is a major determinant of human well-being and economic development. Specifically, trust in institutions is essential to the stability of societies and political systems in general.
In democratic societies, institutional trust (or political trust) is an important element in the relationship between citizen and government. It is the basis for accepting the authority of those who wield power, confers legitimacy on leaders and fosters citizen involvement in decision-making. Conversely, the absence or deterioration of institutional trust can make it difficult to organize societies and manage the political environment, and thus pose a threat to the stability of democracy.
The evolution of institutional trust
While recent decades have seen an expansion of democratic regimes, confidence in institutions is now in decline in both established and emerging democracies. A study carried out by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, based on opinion survey data drawn from 62 developed and developing countries, indicates, for example, that the percentage of people expressing confidence in public institutions has fallen from 46% in 2006 to 36% in 2019. According to the same study, Americans’ confidence in their national government has fallen from 73% in 1958 to 24% in 2021.
In Sub-Saharan Africa, an exploration of Afrobarometer data from 30 countries reveals that institutional trust declined between 2011 and 2023. This decline is most marked for Parliament (from 50% to 33%), the Head of State (from 59% to 46%) and the judiciary (from 59% to 47%) (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Share of citizens expressing trust in various institutions, in 30 Sub-Saharan African countries
Source: Authors, based on Afrobarometer 2011–2023 data.
The evolution of media use
In recent years, media consumption habits have undergone a number of changes, but with varying degrees of intensity depending on the region. Traditional media has seen an overall decline in their audience in Sub-Saharan Africa. Radio remains the most widely used medium in the region, but its share fell slightly from 72% in 2011 to 68% in 2023 (Figure 1). Print media also experienced a decline in audience figures, from 21% to 14%, while the proportion of people watching television increased slightly from 49% to 53% over the same period (Figure 1). In the European Union and the United States, media consumption (television, radio, print media) has diversified significantly over the past decade. Even so, television remains the main source of information, with an audience reaching 90% in the European Union in 2022 and 62% in the USA at the start of 2024.
The decline in the audience for traditional media is partly linked to the development of digital and social media, aided by the further expansion of internet access. According to the Digital 2024 October Global Statshotreport, the total number of people connected to the internet is estimated at 5.5 billion, representing a penetration rate of 67.5% and growth of 2.8% compared to 2023. Northern Europe is the most digitally connected region in the world (97.5%) followed by North America (96.9%) and Western Europe (94.6%). In Sub-Saharan Africa, Internet use has more than tripled over the past decade, rising from 12% in 2011 to 39% in 2023 (Figure 2). The digital 2024 report also indicates that the number of social network users worldwide has increased by 5.2% compared to 2023, to 5.22 billion people, or 63.8% of the world’s population.
Figure 2: Media exposure (daily or several times a week) in 30 sub-Saharan African countries
Source: Authors based on Afrobarometer 2011-2023 data.
Media as a determinant of institutional trust
The level of institutional trust and its evolution are linked to people’s assessment of various factors, including the actual performance of institutions, the relevance of the adopted policies, and the country’s economic performance. However, citizens’ assessment of these factors is essentially guided by the nature of the information available to them on the functioning of these institutions.
The media is one of the main channels for information on the workings of institutions and their agents, making it a decisive factor in building public trust. Through their content, they encourage citizens’ openness to the public and political sphere, and influence the way in which this information is integrated and analyzed by individuals. The selection and processing of information by the media directs people’s attention and understanding of current affairs, and therefore helps determine their attitude towards institutions and those involved in them. The result is an improvement in public discourse and citizen engagement, which may or may not reinforce feelings of trust and political efficacy.
Thus, the significant evolution of the global media environment raises questions about its potential role in the decline of trust in institutions. The recent multiplication of broadcasting channels, boosted by Internet technology, has encouraged the emergence of new digital media and impacted on the way information is produced, distributed and consumed. This phenomenon has made it easier to access diversified content in a variety of formats (images, audio, video, blogs, podcasts, etc.). The question is: does media diversification and digitization influence institutional trust?
The link between media exposure and institutional trust
The way in which the media influence institutional trust is the subject of divergent points of view. For one, it can be positive, by raising citizens’ interest and political commitment, and promoting political education and participation (voting turnout, for example). Repeated exposure to the media generates greater interest in political news among the most committed individuals. Thus, the most confident individuals will tend to extend their political support to institutions.
On the other hand, the effect can also be negative on institutional trust. Either because institutional news and the results they produce provoke dissatisfaction and mistrust; or, because of the mediatization of false or negative information, leading to a form of political indebtedness and cynical attitudes towards political processes.
The influence of mass media on institutional trust also varies according to the type of media: traditional, digital, public, private, foreign, etc. The diversification of information can in fact fuel the diversity of citizens’ opinions and expectations. New media for example, given the level of interaction and engagement they generate, their accessibility and their propensity to lock users into “filter bubbles”, particularly prone to an increase in political distrust and economic, political and cultural grievances. For instance, research has shown that, compared to traditional media, social media is a more fertile breeding ground for the proliferation of disinformation, misinformation, hate messages and populism. They also encourage the polarization of societies.
Restrictions imposed on the media in some countries can also be a source of mistrust, encouraging the dissemination of biased information and fuelling the perception that citizens lack confidence in institutions.
Strategies for restoring institutional trust
The primary lever for restoring institutional trust is political. Public leaders must take steps to improve perceptions of integrity and strengthen public confidence in their institutions. To do so, they must work to improve and strengthen the quality of governance at all levels, for example by guaranteeing citizens’ access to quality public services. They must also ensure that institutions are responsive, transparent, and accountable.
Strategies must also promote the engagement and participation of citizens/communities in decision-making processes, establishing a more inclusive relationship based on trust between the people and their institutions.
At the same time, media literacy needs to be strengthened by promoting specific programs for all citizens, starting at school, enabling them to critically assess media content. This will help reduce the negative impact of sensationalism and prejudice, and encourage responsible journalism and ethical information practices, to create a more trustworthy media environment.
Finally, to combat disinformation and misinformation, new regulatory frameworks need to be put in place that engage the responsibility of the media, and particularly social media. However, safeguards are needed to ensure that these frameworks respect freedom of expression and guarantee media protection, independence, and pluralism.
