The Trust Project’s mission is to amplify journalism’s commitment to transparency, accuracy, multiple perspectives, and fairness so that the public can make informed news choices, recognizing that in a confusing world flooded with misinformation, principled journalism must step forward and earn public trust. The journey started when founder Sally Lehrman began asking why technology couldn’t support news trustworthiness and integrity instead of driving it down, leading to in-depth interviews asking people what they valued in news, when they trusted it, and when they didn’t. Now, with hundreds of news partners and alignment with leading digital platforms, The Trust Project leads the way in news transparency with globally recognized Trust Indicators. The Trust Project’s guiding principles stem from those developed in 1947 by the Hutchins Commission, which during an era when the public held deep suspicion of the press, spelled out commitments a free and responsible press must live by. Trust Project News Partners strive to provide truthful, verified news and information in context that gives them meaning; forums for civil exchanges and greater understanding of various viewpoints with fairness in mind; and stories, information, and ideas reflecting diverse types of communities and their interests and views, while upholding the public’s interest by holding the powerful accountable and shining light in unexpected places. Partners abide by these principles and display the 8 Trust Indicators, which incorporate commitment to fairness and accuracy with prompt corrections; disclosures explaining mission, funding sources, and organizational backing; insight into methods and information sources; diversity of voices and perspectives; and opportunities for public engagement. Together and individually, the 8 Trust Indicators show who and what is behind a news story so people can easily assess for themselves whether it comes from a reliable source.
Why it matters: The Trust Project addresses the fundamental problem that technology platforms have driven down news trustworthiness and integrity rather than supporting it, creating standardized Trust Indicators that make transparency visible and actionable rather than leaving trustworthiness as an abstract claim. By grounding its work in deep interviews asking people what they value in news and aligning hundreds of news partners with leading digital platforms, The Trust Project demonstrates that earning public trust requires not just journalistic excellence but infrastructure making that excellence visible through disclosures about mission, funding, methods, and sources. The globally recognized Trust Indicators give readers tools to assess reliability for themselves rather than demanding they trust journalists on faith, recognizing that in an era of deep suspicion toward the press—much like the Hutchins Commission era—journalism must transparently demonstrate its commitments to fairness, accuracy, diverse perspectives, and accountability.
