In a newsroom in Washington, D.C., Joy Mayer leaned forward during a recent interview, her voice steady but urgent. “The public isn’t just confused about what to trust—they’re unsure what is even real,” she said. Mayer, founder of Trusting News, a nonprofit that helps journalists rebuild credibility, has spent the past decade navigating a media landscape where trust has eroded faster than strategies to restore it. Now, with artificial intelligence reshaping journalism, the challenge feels more acute than ever.
At the upcoming 77th World News Media Congress in Marseille, Mayer will address how journalists can earn trust in an era where audiences are hostile, indifferent, or simply overwhelmed by the deluge of information—much of it generated or distorted by AI. Her message is clear: transparency alone is not enough. The tools journalists use to rebuild trust must evolve as quickly as the technologies they employ.
The problem, as Mayer’s research shows, is not just that AI complicates trust-building—it contradicts it. A 2024 Trusting News survey found that 94% of people want journalists to disclose when they use AI. Yet nearly all news organizations fail to do so. When journalists did test disclosure methods, the results were paradoxical: acknowledging AI use lowered trust. “That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t disclose,” Mayer said. “It means we need to do it in a way that educates, not confuses.”
The contradiction stems from a deeper issue. Audiences don’t just want to know if AI was used—they want to understand why. Mayer’s team found that people trust journalists more when they explain how AI enhances reporting (e.g., automating data analysis) and how humans remain in control of critical decisions. “The safeguard isn’t just disclosure,” she said. “It’s showing the public that AI is a tool, not a replacement for judgment.”
Yet the industry remains divided. Many journalists privately insist AI has no place in responsible reporting, while others argue it’s essential for efficiency. Mayer’s research reveals a gap: the public is confused, and the industry is fragmented. “We’re not in agreement about what’s appropriate use,” she said. “And that confusion trickles down to the audience.”
To bridge this divide, Trusting News is developing a new “Trust Kit” this summer, designed to help journalists build AI literacy in their communities. The goal isn’t just to explain AI’s role—it’s to help audiences distinguish between credible sources and those exploiting misinformation. “Journalists have an opportunity to equip people to navigate information better,” Mayer said. “But we have to start by asking: Why don’t you trust us?”
The question cuts to the heart of journalism’s current crisis. Mayer’s advice to newsrooms is blunt: engage with skeptics. “Talk to people who aren’t already consuming your work,” she said. “Understand their misassumptions, then create a counter-narrative.” The approach reflects a shift from defensive journalism to one rooted in accountability. Yet even as Mayer advocates for transparency, she acknowledges the tension: in an era where AI can generate fake news at scale, trust isn’t just about what journalists say—it’s about what they prove.
For Mayer, the future of trust lies in diversity. As a news consumer, she turns to sources like Tangle News, which curates balanced political perspectives, and Ground News, an app that surfaces how different outlets cover the same story. “None of us see the full picture,” she said. “The challenge is to engage with the best versions of how different people see the world.”
The Marseille congress will test whether journalists can meet that challenge. With AI reshaping the industry, the stakes are clear: trust isn’t rebuilt through declarations alone. It’s built through action—clear explanations, human oversight, and a willingness to confront skepticism head-on.
