The 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer Results: A Growing Sense of Inequity is Undermining Trust in Institutions
Featuring a discussion on earning trust during a global pandemic and a re-examination of our country’s commitment to civil rights

Post July 16, 2020

When Edelman released the 2020 Edelman Trust Barometer in late January it revealed that despite a strong global economy and near full employment, none of the four societal institutions we study—government, business, NGOs and media—is trusted. Then just over a month later, the Covid-19 pandemic turned our lives upside down. Edelman immediately updated the 2020 study and found that trust in all four institutions increased to record levels, especially in government, as citizens looked desperately for answers. Then in a few short months our country was overcome with the George Floyd protests and the call to end to racial inequality and injustice. Edelman went back into the field in early June and the results are unequivocal: Americans want brands to step up and play a central role in addressing systemic racism.

Please join CAPIO and SiOC for a presentation of the 20th anniversary of the Edelman Trust Barometer and a discussion on earning trust during a global pandemic and a re-examination of our country’s commitment to civil rights.

Speakers:

Recorded: Wednesday, July 8

CAPIO Certificate in Communications Credit: Community Relations and Engagement
APR Continuing Education Unit

BIOS

CHRISTI BLACK-DAVIS is an executive vice president at Edelman, where she leads consumer education, public affairs, and crisis communications programs for public and private sector organizations. She has worked closely with hundreds of local, state, and federal agencies throughout her career, seeing first-hand how public trust influences communications success.

MATT NOTLEY with a professional history that spans public relations, public affairs, and a stint in the news media, Matt has the experience necessary to help clients think big and effectively leverage the media. Matt’s expertise is working with clients to uncover and build compelling stories that resonate with the media and lead to brand awareness.

At Edelman, Matt leads the public affairs activities for several clients with a focus on water, agricultural and environmental issues, providing media relations and strategic communications advice as his clients develop statewide management plans, policy reform and public education programs. Matt currently leads several communications programs for the California Department of Water Resources, which include media and issues management as the state agency rebuilds Oroville Dam, America’s tallest dam, and developing programs to help state and local emergency management agencies communicate downstream flood risk to impacted communities.

Matt also led the Cultivate California program, a public education program built in 2015 to improve Californians’ perceptions about how farmers and ranchers use responsible, water-efficient practices to grow the food we love to eat. Among others, the program was funded by Sunkist, Blue Diamond Almonds, the Milk Advisory Board, the California Fresh Fruit Association, Western Growers and the California Farm Bureau Federation.

In his more than 10 years working in the communications field, Matt has also managed a broad range of client accounts in sectors such as healthcare, energy and fuels, education, and community redevelopment. Matt began his career as a reporter, covering state and county government, the environment, and social issues affecting Northern California.

Matt received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from California State University, Chico in 1998. He is a graduate of the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s 2012 Leadership Sacramento, a fellowship program for young professionals in the Sacramento region. He is currently the president of the Sacramento Public Relations Association.