Media plays a critical role in promoting global trust

By  Geoffrey Odundo

Managing Director and Group CEO

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

• As the Fourth Estate, the media carries a democratic responsibility to scrutinise government, Parliament, the judiciary and private power.
• But the media can become part of the problem when it amplifies falsehoods, publishes unverified claims or prioritises attention over accuracy.

Trust is the foundation on which societies govern themselves, businesses invest and nations cooperate.

Yet across the world, this essential currency is under strain. Polarisation, deliberate falsehoods and technology that can manufacture and distribute information at unprecedented speed are eroding public confidence in institutions.

At the centre of this challenge lies a hard question: can the media remain a trusted guardian of truth when misinformation and disinformation are weaponised to manipulate opinion, weaken institutions and deepen division?

The answer matters because the media is not a bystander in the information ecosystem. It is one of the institutions on which public trust depends.

A watchdog and a bridge

As the Fourth Estate, the media carries a democratic responsibility to scrutinise government, Parliament, the judiciary and private power.

Through independent and investigative journalism, it exposes wrongdoing and demands accountability from those entrusted with public and corporate responsibility. Without a free, independent and responsible Press, corruption is easier to conceal and citizens lose an essential means of holding power to account.

Journalism is also a bridge between citizens and their leaders, giving communities a platform to voice concerns, challenge policy and take part in democratic life. What people read, hear and watch shapes how they judge leadership and vote. When information is accurate and fair, citizens choose well. When it is distorted, democracy itself becomes vulnerable.

But the media must confront an uncomfortable truth: it can become part of the problem when it amplifies falsehoods, publishes unverified claims or prioritises attention over accuracy.

Rebuilding trust requires independent journalism and a shared commitment by institutions, platforms and citizens to provide, verify and share accurate information.

The new information battlefield

Digital platforms have democratised access to information, but they have also allowed falsehoods to reach millions before the truth is established.

Misinformation is false or misleading content shared without necessarily intending to deceive. Disinformation is more insidious: it is created or circulated deliberately to mislead and advance particular interests.

Artificial intelligence is intensifying the problem. Deepfake video, fabricated audio and networks of inauthentic accounts can make false narratives appear credible, popular and organic, blurring the line between genuine public sentiment and manufactured consensus.

The harm extends beyond politics. During COVID-19, false claims about vaccines and treatments circulated widely, and the World Health Organisation warned that this information crisis complicated efforts to protect communities and weakened trust in scientific institutions.

Disinformation is no longer simply a communications problem. It is a threat to public safety, democratic legitimacy and international cooperation.

The media must also examine its own role in shaping global perceptions. International reporting on Africa has too often privileged conflict and crisis over innovation, enterprise, scientific progress and the continent's own voices.

Conflict deserves rigorous coverage, but a narrow frame risks reducing a diverse continent to a succession of emergencies. 

Fair reporting does not mean favourable reporting. It means context, scrutiny of evidence, representation of affected communities and resistance to stereotype. Africa deserves the same complexity and dignity expected everywhere.

Five commitments to rebuild trust

First, verify before publishing. Speed matters in the digital economy, but being first cannot outrank being accurate. Newsrooms must invest in verification and fact-checking, authenticate digital content, and clearly separate fact from allegation, analysis and opinion.

Second, use AI responsibly. AI can help detect manipulated content, analyse large datasets and translate journalism into local languages, but only under human oversight, editorial accountability, transparency and respect for privacy. Technology should strengthen the pursuit of truth, not automate deception.

Third, be open. Errors should be corrected promptly and visibly. Audiences deserve to understand how editorial decisions are made, how anonymous sources are assessed and how commercial or political interests are kept from compromising independence.

Fourth, build literacy in partnership. Working with technology companies, regulators, researchers, civil society and educators, the media can help citizens question sensational claims and assess sources before sharing. This collaboration must protect freedom of expression and never become a pretext for censorship.

Finally, defend editorial independence. Governments, politicians, corporations and platforms must not decide what counts as truth. Credibility rests on scrutinising every centre of power, including those that finance, influence or challenge the media.

Rebuilding trust will not be achieved through declarations alone. It demands integrity demonstrated through consistent action, and the media must hold others to that standard while applying it rigorously to itself.

The media must never become an architect of mistrust. Its enduring duty is to illuminate the truth, give citizens the information they need to decide for themselves and hold power to account without fear or favour. In a world divided by competing narratives, its greatest contribution is not to amplify the loudest voice, but to establish the facts on which trust, democracy and collective progress can be rebuilt.