Edelman PR

For the second year, Edelman’s Global Trust Barometer has included Ireland. The annual survey of opinion formers in 18 countries reveals that trust in religious institutions and non governmental organisations in Ireland has risen while trust in business is holding its own and trust in government is declining. Media fares well as a trusted source of information.

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Key highlights of the Edelman Trust Barometer include:

NGOS

• NGOs are the most trusted organisations in Ireland with 59% of respondents trusting them to do the right thing, an increase from 48% last year.

Religion

• Trust in religious institutions In Ireland has risen from 29% to 37%.

Government

• Trust in Government has dropped from 37% to 35%.

Media

• Trust in media in Ireland stands at 43% compared to 37% last year.
• Amongst the most valued sources of information in Ireland is radio news trusted by 59% of those surveyed and TV news at 57%. Ireland has a higher usage of newspaper articles and radio than any other country surveyed.
• Advertising is trusted by 16% of those surveyed, while social networking sites are trusted by 6% compared to a European average of 14%.
• As sources of information, television, print media and business publications are the most trusted with 70% trusting conversations with friends and peers.
• CNN, BBC and Google are referenced as being trusted in every European country.

Business

• The technology sector remains the most trusted industry with 65% approval in Ireland.
• While business is the second most trusted institution, trust has declined from 50% to 47% and trust in CEOs as a credible spokesperson about a company is relatively low at 29%.
• 90% of respondents who do not trust a company will not buy its products, while 87% of respondents will share negative opinions about the company with others.
• US companies are less trusted than European companies, effectively creating a trust deficit.
• Companies headquartered in Ireland are the eight most trusted internationally.
• The most trusted spokespersons on relevant business topics are financial or industry analysts at 62%, followed by doctors and healthcare professional at 57%. Regulators have a 40% trust rating while a “person like yourself” has a 53% level of trust.

Commenting on the Edelman Trust Barometer findings, Mark Cahalane, Managing Director, Edelman Ireland said: “Clearly, in terms of trust, Non Governmental Organisations, Business and Religious Organisations do very well. NGOs obviously benefit through their relevance and engagement with both domestic and international issues of concern such as, climate change, human rights and the environment. The bounce back in confidence in religious institutions has been dramatic perhaps attributed to a year of change in the main church and a rising emigrant population. While government held its own overall it remains at a relatively low 35% confidence rating. In terms of the most trusted sources of information, broadcast news is one of the strongest forces at 59% while print media runs at 55% confidence.”

The main themes emerging in relation to Ireland are that over the past year trust in NGOs and religious institutions has risen significantly. In the last survey, NGOs trust level in Ireland stood at 48% that has now reached 59%. This compares to a global rating of 53%. Again, NGOs are viewed as addressing issues of importance and are trusted to do the right thing. NGOs have a clear trust advantage in Europe. There has been a significant jump in trust in religious institutions in Ireland rising from 29% to 37%. This is potentially attributed to the passage of time from clerical abuse scandals and the constructive engagement being undertaken by the main church in Ireland. Interestingly, trust in religious institutions remains high across the developing world, rating highly in Mexico 57%, Brazil 48%, India 29% and China 51%. Across Europe, trust in religion stands at 28% in the UK, 36% in Spain, 27% in Germany and 40% in the Netherlands. Government remains least trusted in Ireland at 35%, compared to a global average of 43%.

Amongst the most trusted sources of information in Ireland is news coverage on radio at 59%. Newspaper articles on individual companies had a raking of 55%, while a company’s own communications was only trusted by 27% while blogs or weblogs stood at 14%. When we consider who we trust the most as a spokesperson in Ireland, the most trusted sources of information include, financial or industry analysts at 62%, followed by a doctor or healthcare specialist at 57%, an NGO representative at 57% and academics at 53%. Bloggers are the least trusted at 7%. A regular employee of a company stands at 39% while a “person like yourself” stands at 53%. Overall media fares very well in Ireland.

In Ireland, trust in business stands at 47%. As a trusted spokesperson, a CEO stands at a 29% trust level compared to a 62% rating for an industry analyst as a trusted information source. Government regulators are only trusted to do the right thing by 40% in Ireland. Looking at specific sectors, the technology sector associated with innovation, development and employment remains the most trusted globally and also in Ireland at 65%. Again in Ireland, biotech and life science companies fare well at 50% and pharmaceutical companies at 49%. Companies headquartered in Ireland are the eight most trusted globally with a trust level of 60%. Those headquartered in Sweden are the most trusted, followed by Germany, Canada and the UK. When forming opinions on a business overseas those surveyed were most influenced by perceptions of business practice at 82%, human rights track record at 74%, while those who had experience of the company or brand stood at 54%.

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