Trust less is not enough

Introduction

Media literacy is often presented as a defence against misinformation, but there is an important distinction between teaching people to trust less and teaching people to judge better. Those are not the same thing. A person who becomes more suspicious of everything online may reject false claims more often, but they may also dismiss accurate reporting, expert guidance and legitimate corrections. In the long run, that can leave them less informed rather than more informed.

Research increasingly suggests that effective media literacy is not about driving trust as low as possible. Instead, it is about improving what researchers call truth discernment: the ability to distinguish stronger evidence from weaker claims and more reliable sources from less reliable ones. The goal is not blanket distrust. It is calibrated trust. [Taylor & Francis Online]tandfonline.comThis study explores the role of news skepticism in countering misinformation beliefs and skepticism's connection to greater news…Read…

Within the broader challenge of critical thinking in the age of social media and AI, this matters because misinformation thrives not only when people believe too much, but also when they stop evaluating evidence altogether.

The difference between scepticism, cynicism and trust

One reason media literacy programmes sometimes produce confusing results is that they often treat trust and scepticism as opposite ends of a single scale. In reality, they are different concepts.

Healthy scepticism asks questions. It examines evidence, checks sources and remains open to revision. Cynicism begins from the assumption that institutions, experts, journalists or official sources are fundamentally untrustworthy. Trust, meanwhile, is not blind acceptance. It is a judgement that a source has earned credibility on a particular issue.

Recent research argues that news scepticism, news cynicism and news trust are separate constructs rather than simple opposites. People can be sceptical while still trusting reliable sources when evidence supports them. They can also be highly cynical while remaining vulnerable to misinformation that confirms their existing beliefs. [Taylor & Francis Online]tandfonline.comThis study explores the role of news skepticism in countering misinformation beliefs and skepticism's connection to greater news…Read…

This distinction helps explain a common failure mode in public discussion. When media literacy is framed primarily as “don’t trust what you see online”, learners may become more suspicious without becoming better evaluators. They learn caution but not judgement.

The practical question is therefore not:

“How can people trust less?”

It is:

“How can people become better at deciding what deserves trust?”

How anti-misinformation tips can backfire

Many anti-misinformation campaigns are designed around warning people about manipulation, fake news, deepfakes and unreliable sources. These concerns are real. The problem is that repeated warnings can sometimes create unintended side effects.

A growing body of research has found that some misinformation interventions reduce belief in false information but also increase scepticism towards accurate information. In other words, people become more cautious, but not necessarily more accurate in their judgements. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCMedia literacy tips promoting reliable news improveby S Altay · 2024 · Cited by 32 — Many other interventions against misinformation were shown to increase skepticism in true news or to…

One 2024 study found that interventions focused solely on spotting misinformation can produce what researchers describe as “spillover” effects, making participants more doubtful of true information and more distrustful of generally reliable actors such as scientists or professional news organisations. The authors argue that media literacy efforts should help people identify trustworthy information as well as misleading information. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCMedia literacy tips promoting reliable news improveby S Altay · 2024 · Cited by 32 — Many other interventions against misinformation were shown to increase skepticism in true news or to…

Other experimental work comparing traditional scepticism-focused interventions with approaches that also highlight the existence of trustworthy news sources has reached a similar conclusion. The challenge is not simply reducing acceptance of false claims. It is preserving appropriate confidence in accurate information. [ECPR]ecpr.euMedia Literacy or Media Skepticism?Testing Novel Trust-…We investigate the effects of two improved news media literacy interventions on false and true news acceptance, a…

This matters because an information environment full of distrust creates its own vulnerabilities. A person who distrusts every institution may not become evidence-driven. They may instead shift trust towards influencers, rumours, anonymous accounts or communities that feel more authentic.

Why distrust can make misinformation harder to resist

It is tempting to assume that misinformation mainly targets people who are too trusting. In reality, misinformation often exploits distrust as well.

Conspiracy theories frequently begin with the premise that established institutions are hiding the truth. False narratives often gain traction by encouraging audiences to dismiss journalists, scientists, regulators or official records before any evidence is examined. Once that happens, the quality of evidence becomes less important than whether a source feels independent, rebellious or emotionally satisfying.

Research on misinformation consistently finds that belief formation is influenced not only by factual accuracy but also by prior attitudes, identity and motivated reasoning. People do not simply evaluate information objectively; they often judge it through the lens of what they already want to believe. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govDeterminants of individuals' belief in fake news: A scoping…by K Bryanov · 2021 · Cited by 299 — In this scoping review, we summari…

This is why cynicism can become self-defeating. If every established source is presumed dishonest, then there is little reason to compare evidence. The result is not greater independence of thought. It is a different form of dependence, often on weaker information sources.

The irony is that some of the same habits that protect people from misinformation—checking original documents, comparing sources, looking for corroboration—require retaining at least some willingness to engage with institutions capable of producing evidence in the first place.

What calibrated trust teaches instead

The most effective media literacy programmes increasingly focus on evaluation rather than rejection.

Instead of teaching people to ask, “Can this source ever be trusted?”, calibrated trust encourages questions such as:

This approach treats trust as conditional and evidence-based rather than absolute.

UNESCO’s media and information literacy framework reflects this broader goal. It emphasises the ability to critically access, analyse, evaluate and use information rather than simply distrusting media content. The objective is informed participation in public life, not permanent suspicion. [UNESCO]unesco.orgMedia and Information LiteracyDiscover how UNESCO supports MIL for all to engage critically with information, navigate the digital…

A useful comparison is driving instruction. Teaching road safety does not mean teaching people that every road sign is wrong. It means teaching them how to recognise hazards, understand signals and make sound judgements under uncertainty. Media literacy works best when it follows the same logic.

What implementation looks like in practice

For educators, policymakers and platform designers, the implication is straightforward: interventions should reward accuracy, not merely suspicion.

Research suggests several principles that reduce the risk of creating cynicism:

• Pair warnings with positive guidance. Explain how to identify reliable information, not just unreliable information. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCMedia literacy tips promoting reliable news improveby S Altay · 2024 · Cited by 32 — Many other interventions against misinformation were shown to increase skepticism in true news or to…
• Show evidence hierarchies. Teach why some sources deserve greater weight than others rather than implying all sources are equally questionable.
• Explain correction as a strength. Responsible journalism, science and public administration often revise conclusions when better evidence emerges.
• Encourage verification habits. Checking original documents, source trails and corroborating evidence builds judgement rather than reflexive distrust.
• Focus on reasoning processes. The goal is evaluating claims, not categorising entire institutions as trustworthy or untrustworthy.

These principles are particularly important in an environment where AI systems, social media feeds and creator-driven information increasingly shape what people see. UNESCO’s recent work on information integrity and media literacy similarly frames critical thinking as a tool for navigating digital environments rather than rejecting them outright. [UNESCO]unesco.orgUNESCO launches issue brief on Media and Information…3 Jun 2026 — This issue brief highlights the growing role of Media and Info…

Trust less is not enough

The central mistake in many public discussions is assuming that lower trust automatically means better judgement. Evidence suggests otherwise.

Good media literacy does not aim to produce audiences who believe everything. Nor does it aim to produce audiences who believe nothing. It aims to produce audiences who can tell the difference.

That distinction matters because misinformation is only one side of the problem. The other side is losing the ability to recognise trustworthy information when it appears. A society filled with indiscriminate distrust is not necessarily more resilient than a society filled with excessive trust. Both can become vulnerable to manipulation.

Critical thinking works best when trust is earned, questioned, adjusted and sometimes withdrawn according to evidence. The goal is not less trust. The goal is better trust. [Taylor & Francis Online+2PMC]tandfonline.comThis study explores the role of news skepticism in countering misinformation beliefs and skepticism's connection to greater news…Read…

Amazon book picks

Further Reading

Books and field guides related to Trust less is not enough. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.

Book

The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe

By Dr. Steven Novella

Clarifies the difference between skepticism and cynicism.

See on Amazon

Book

Calling Bullshit

By Carl T. Bergstrom, Jevin D. West

Teaches evaluation rather than blanket skepticism.

See on Amazon

Book

The Constitution of Knowledge

By Jonathan Rauch

Directly addresses calibrated trust and information quality.

See on Amazon

Book

Factfulness

By Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling et al.

Promotes evidence-based trust calibration.

See on Amazon

Browse more on Amazon: The Skeptics' to the Universe books Calling Bullshit The Constitution of Knowledge

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Endnotes

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