Trust Project / Reach Plc UK: trust in The Mirror jumped 8% after adding Trust Indicators

Quote (Trust Project):

"Across two surveys, Reach Plc (UK) found that trust in its flagship outlet, The Mirror, jumped eight percent after it added the Trust Indicators to its site."

Ann Gripper, executive editor of The Mirror:

"Our research shows that readers do care about the people and brand providing their news — and giving them that information increases their trust."

Source: Trust Project — thetrustproject.org; SCU Markkula Center — scu.edu/ethics.

Confidence: Verified.

Companion: UT-Austin Center for Media Engagement found higher reputation evaluations when Trust Indicators were present.

For Candid use: Trust Indicators are a measurable trust-lifting intervention, not a vague best-practice. The Mirror result (+8 points) is one of the cleanest single-site demonstrations that visible sourcing/transparency moves the trust metric independently of content quality.

Pairs with Edelman 2025 Trust Barometer (n=33,000, 28 countries): 7 in 10 believe government/business/journalists deliberately mislead them — the macro case (readers default to distrust) and the micro intervention (Trust Indicators close the gap).