By Massarah Mikati

Most people are overwhelmed by information and don’t really understand what makes responsible journalism different from the rest of the noise in their feeds. That’s normal! It’s also especially problematic during election season, when journalists’ job is to equip people to navigate civic life and democracy.

Election SOS joined Trusting News as they looked at basic things journalists should be explaining about their ethics, their processes and their decision making — and how those messages can live in and alongside their election coverage. Here are the top takeaways from the conversation. Be sure to check out the video below for the full discussion!

• Most people are not political junkies. Many avoid the news because it seems overwhelming, confusing and stressful, and it doesn’t feel like it’s designed for people like them. 
• Journalists should understand audience needs so they can meet them where they are with accessible, empowering civic information. 
• We also can’t assume that people understand how we make decisions, what our ethical principles are and how we work to be fair. We need to articulate those messages and share them routinely. 
• Wherever we have our audience’s attention, we can be sharing about how we work. Consider taking the messages to newsletters, social media, on air, in columns and in editor’s notes at the top of stories.

🔗 Bookmark these links from Trusting News:

• Sign up for free, one-on-one coaching to work on transparency messaging and talk about ensuring your coverage makes your community more curious, not more polarized. 
• The Election Trust Kit has tips for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust. 
• Subscribe to Trust Tips, Trusting News’ newsletter that offers one quick, actionable tip for earning trust each week.