Trust in media is closely linked to the rule of law, new study finds
Why do people in some countries trust the media, while in others they remain deeply skeptical? A new large-scale study published by Journal of Law and Economics offers an answer. According to the authors – including Niclas Berggren from the Faculty of Business Administration at the Prague University of Economics and Business – trust in journalists is shaped not only by the quality of the media environment but also by the broader institutional framework, especially the rule of law.
As Berggren explains, the study builds on a simple premise: “People form expectations about others based on how rules function in society. If rules are fair and effectively enforced, people are more willing to trust that others will behave honestly,” he says, adding that the research therefore focuses on the quality of the legal system and its ability to enforce rules impartially.
To identify what drives differences in trust across countries, the authors analyzed data from sources such as the Wellcome Global Monitor 2018 and 2020, the Economic Freedom of the World index, and the V‑Dem dataset. The final sample included data from more than 230,000 respondents across 135 countries.
Trust in media rises when people are equal before the law
The study finds a clear and robust relationship. The better a country’s rule of law functions – including the effectiveness of courts, law enforcement, and protection of property rights – the higher the level of public trust in journalists. This relationship holds even after controlling for a wide range of factors, from national income levels to individual characteristics of respondents.
According to the authors, several mechanisms may explain this effect. A high-quality legal system reduces corruption and dishonest behavior, strengthens professional standards, and gradually shapes societal expectations about what constitutes acceptable conduct. “When people live in an environment where dishonest behavior is punished, they have greater reason to believe that journalists will follow the rules,” Berggren notes.
Interestingly, other commonly discussed factors play a much smaller role. These include the size of government or the extent of economic regulation. Even the presence of democracy itself does not show a consistent relationship with how much people trust the media.
Czechia remains high in the ranking
The Czech Republic scored 7.68 out of 10 on the rule‑of‑law measure and ranked 21st out of 165 jurisdictions worldwide, placing it firmly in the upper quartile. This relatively strong institutional position is reflected in higher‑than‑average levels of trust in journalists, although still below those observed in Nordic countries. At the same time, Czech audiences tend to place significantly higher trust in public service broadcasters than in privately owned outlets, particularly those linked to business or political interests.
More freedom of speech does not automatically mean more trust
Political polarization, on the other hand, tends to reduce trust. “We interpret this as a result of strong societal divisions, where people are more likely to assume that the media are aligned with one side, which lowers their trust,” says Berggren.
Perhaps more surprising is the relationship between freedom of expression and trust in media. “At first glance, one might expect that greater freedom of expression increases trust. But the study shows that this is not always the case,” Berggren points out. In some countries, a greater diversity of voices and often conflicting information can instead lead to uncertainty about whom to trust.
“We interpret this effect as being particularly present in environments where professional media standards are not yet sufficiently developed,” he adds. The study also examined how trust in media evolved during the COVID‑19 pandemic. “From our perspective, it was an interesting comparison, since people were more dependent on media information than usual at that time,” Berggren explains.
Once again, the findings confirmed that in countries with a stronger rule of law, trust in journalists increased more during the pandemic than elsewhere. According to the authors, this suggests that the observed relationship is not driven by reverse causality – that is, it is not simply that higher trust improves institutions.
According to Berggren, recent developments in the Czech Republic also highlight how sensitive this relationship can be. „Declining public perceptions of judicial independence, ongoing concerns about transparency and corruption cases, and debates over the future of public service media financing all point to pressures that could, over time, affect trust in journalism itself,” he thinks.
Media quality is not the whole story
The study’s findings are relevant not only for the media sector but also for policymakers and the public. “We see that trust in journalists cannot be strengthened solely within the media sector. It is the result of a broader interplay of factors linked to the quality of legal institutions, which promote honest behavior and shape expectations in society,” Berggren concludes.