In Legacy Media We Trust?

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In the age of fact-checking and clickbait, Mark Walters highlights the crucial role legacy media plays in effective strategic planning. “trust is the currency of the future media landscape”

The digital age has brought with it an explosion of information. From social media platforms to independent blogs and niche content hubs, the internet offers an endless stream of news claiming to inform, educate, and entertain. However, this information surplus has also created an era of digital noise, where misinformation, sensationalism, and clickbait often overshadow credible reporting.

This shift has left businesses, policymakers, and the general public questioning the integrity of the information they consume. Against this backdrop, legacy media—those established outlets with a history of reliable reporting—has emerged as a critical player in rebuilding public trust. For media professionals, understanding the evolving role of legacy media is crucial in navigating this complex information ecosystem.

Why Trust in Media is Dwindling

The proliferation of non-traditional media sources has undeniably democratised content creation. Yet, this democracy comes with its challenges. Many online platforms lack editorial oversight, enabling the spread of misinformation and polarising narratives. Studies reveal that nearly 59% of the global population encounters fake news online at least once a week. For media professionals, this widespread misinformation tarnishes the industry, even impacting credible sources.

Not surprisingly, audiences are increasingly sceptical of the news they consume, which, for media organisations, translates into an erosion of trust—often the foundation of a publication’s survival and relevance.

What Makes Legacy Media Relevant in the Digital Era

With its long-established reputation, credibility, and professionalism, legacy media offers a much-needed anchor in turbulent waters. Media professionals can take away several key lessons from how legacy media maintains its relevance, including the following:

  1. Editorial Standards and Accountability
    Legacy outlets like The New York Times, BBC, and The Guardian have long-standing editorial processes and robust fact-checking mechanisms. These measures ensure that the information they share is accurate, balanced, and accountable. By maintaining a high standard, such institutions set themselves apart from platforms that prioritise clicks over credibility.
    For content creators and journalists, adhering to best practices around fact-checking and journalistic integrity is a step towards restoring reader confidence.
  2. Brand Equity Cultivated Over Decades
    Many legacy media organisations have decades, even centuries, of storytelling experience behind them. Their institutional knowledge not only aids them in crafting nuanced narratives but also reassures audiences who value consistency over trends.
    This brand equity leads audiences to perceive them as “gatekeepers” of truth amidst the chaos of unreliable sources. Media professionals can leverage similar principles to ensure the content they produce builds long-term trust and loyalty.
  3. Adaptability to Digital Platforms
    Legacy media has not remained static in the face of change. Outlets like The Washington Post and The Financial Times have adopted innovative digital-first models, employing data journalism, podcasting, and interactive visual storytelling to attract modern viewers.
    For media professionals, adaptability and innovation are non-negotiable in engaging digitally-savvy audiences without compromising journalistic integrity.
  4. Combating the Echo Chamber Effect
    Unlike algorithms engineered to feed personalised content looped within echo chambers, legacy media typically offers broader, more balanced coverage, presenting multiple perspectives on polarising issues. This kind of in-depth, diverse approach can help audiences think critically, fostering trust even among sceptics.

How Legacy Media Engages Audiences Amid Digital Noise

To truly thrive in the digital age, legacy publications have capitalised on key strategies that apply not just to large media houses but also to independent journalists and small outlets. These include the following approaches.

  1. Leveraging Multi-Platform Storytelling
    Modern audiences consume content differently, with significant attention now dedicated to audio-visual and mobile-first platforms. Legacy Media has embraced this, with dynamic content that transitions seamlessly across multiple platforms, from traditional newspapers to TikTok.
    For media professionals, reaching diverse audiences is often a simple matter of diversifying the channels through which you distribute information.
  2. Investing in Audience Engagement
    Legacy media outlets leverage feedback mechanisms, reader panels, and community-driven initiatives to stay in tune with their audience preferences. Actively involving audiences allows them to feel they are part of the conversation, encouraging trust over time.
    Smaller media outlets, by replicating these strategies, can emphasise authenticity while deepening reader relationships.
  3. Focusing on Niche Expertise
    Outlets like National Geographic have cemented their legacy status by delivering expert reporting in specific niches such as science and travel. Media professionals should consider how deep subject matter expertise—whether in politics, the arts, technology, or finance—can differentiate them within a crowded market.

Legacy Media’s Role in Restoring Trust

Legacy media’s role in rebuilding public trust is multifaceted, involving both education and accountability. For instance, the rise of media literacy campaigns spearheaded by organisations like BBC Media Action reflects the dual responsibility of providing accurate reporting and empowering audiences to think critically about the content they consume.

The Bigger Picture for Media Professionals

If there’s one thing media professionals can learn from legacy organisations, it’s this—trust is the currency of the future media landscape. For independent creators, up-and-coming platforms, or even seasoned professionals, here are actionable takeaways inspired by legacy strategies to safeguard and grow trust in their work.

  1. Prioritise Transparency
    Whether working for a legacy outlet or independent, professionals should communicate how their reports are produced, who finances their activities, and what biases may exist. Transparency builds credibility.
  2. Collaborate Rather Than Compete
    Many newsrooms and investigative journalists have begun recognising the value of collaborative journalism. Pooling resources and expertise significantly amplifies trust in the reporting and increases cross-audience exposure.
  3. Commit to Ongoing Learning
    Staying informed of best practices such as verification techniques and advancements in investigative technology is an essential part of earning audience trust.

About the author

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Mark Walters is the visionary behind Marks Get Set, a communications consultancy renowned for empowering businesses through strategic PR and business development. Mark leverages his extensive experience in communications strategy, crisis management, and media relations to drive tangible results for clients across various industries including the KBB sector.