Readers don’t trust traditional news media to understand what’s relevant.

Ellen Heinrichs, CEO and founder of the 2-year-old, German-based Bonn Institute, shared this harsh truth with attendees at the recent INMA Media Innovation Week in Helsinki.

“We always have to keep in mind that we’re not talking about data. We are talking about people. I don’t even like the word ‘users’ anymore because it’s about human beings, actual people. What we tend to neglect in our industry is actual emotion.”

Trust is a feeling, she said. “And it’s a deal breaker when it comes to buying decisions, when it comes to subscriptions.”

Inside news companies, there is a belief that neutrality is what audiences want. It isn’t, Heinrichs said. “It’s being outside. Never confuse trust with trustworthiness,” she added, showing a photo of former U.S. President Donald Trump. “He builds connection, trust. If we feel seen and heard by someone, no matter what bullshit he tells us, we might even trust this person. This is how humans work.”

Research into young readers show they trust family, friends, and influencers more than they trust traditional media. Other non-readers, those Heinrichs called “news outsiders,” see news companies as “not for people like me.”

Pivoting to products and tech will not fix this problem, she said. 

“I have pivoted to a lot of things already, from Facebook Live to newsletters, and now a lot of us are pivoting to AI. That’s not going to save us. Tech is tech, and tech is going to help us if we use in a certain way. But it’s not going to solve our problem. Focusing on people’s needs, that’s what we need to do.”

To that end, Heinrichs shared a seven-step strategy to build trust among audiences:

1. Rethink your mission: “Why are you here? What kind of added value do you create when you produce information every day? And then act accordingly. Don’t just invent a new format, good news format. Think about how you can optimise for trust on all levels of your organisation.”
   

2. Focus on the human level. Heinrichs discussed omnipartiality — “Being in favour of everyone like mediators,” she said. “Be empathetic and keep your professional distance, of course. But don’t just work to make people understand something. They also have to feel a connection. Try to talk to ppl who don’t share your opinions.
   

3. Find new perspectives. “Whose perspectives are constantly under-reported? Nourish an inclusive newsroom culture. Hire for diversity.”
   

4. Consider your impact. “How often do we consider the impact of what we report on before we publish? Communication always creates impact. What kind of impact are you actually trying to create? Understand what kind of impact your current news is creating. If you’re trying to change something, you have to start with yourself, biases: negativity, confirmation, and lots of other cognitive dissonance we need to understand.”
   

5. Avoid exaggerations and sensationalism. “It doesn’t lead you anywhere.”
   

6. Make smart AI decisions. Such decisions should be human-centered, Heinrichs said. “Be transparent and ethical of use in your newsroom. Please use it to make your journalism better.”
   

7. Strive for a balanced worldview. “In a world really stricken by conflicts … people, they are really scared. They are stressed out. Please give them also hope. Please show them where something is progressing. Tell them about innovation, tell them where people work together and stand together.. Really try to have a more balanced world view yourselves because people want you to, and they will reward you for it.”

Bonn Institute research shows readers respond well to solutions-reporting with an increased reading time of 9%, triple the engagement, quadruple the number of sessions, and a 27% increase in session duration.

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