CFINR takes the case for objectivity and trust to press associations nationwide

Photo credit: Dave Schwarz

Trust isn’t rebuilt through slogans or branding campaigns. It’s rebuilt through clarity, transparency and visible commitments to objectivity and impartial reporting.”

CFINR Executive Director Rufus Friday, in an address to the Minnesota Newspaper Association

Gallup’s annual survey finds that just 28% of Americans say they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. Nearly seven in ten say they have “not very much” or “none at all.” The challenge is clear. But so is the opportunity.

That’s why the Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR) has been traveling across the country the past year, presenting at state press association conventions and journalism gatherings to share a practical, newsroom-centered strategy for restoring trust.

As Gallup put it:

“With confidence fractured along partisan and generational lines, the challenge for news organizations is not only to deliver fair and accurate  reporting but also to regain credibility across an increasingly polarized and skeptical public.”

CFINR believes that work begins inside the newsroom,  and becomes visible when news organizations clearly articulate and publicly display their core journalistic values.

A message resonating nationwide

Photo credit: Dave Schwarz

From the Minnesota Newspaper Association to press associations in multiple states, CFINR Executive Director Rufus Friday has been delivering a straightforward message:

“Trust isn’t rebuilt through slogans or branding campaigns. It’s rebuilt through clarity, transparency and visible commitments to objectivity and impartial reporting.”

CFINR challenges every newsroom to:

• Craft a clear statement of core journalistic values like those linked here
• Distinguish news from opinion
• Publicly affirm standards of fairness, independence and accuracy
• Make those commitments visible to audiences

It’s a simple, powerful step that signals accountability and reinforces credibility.

Three programs, one mission

CFINR’s national effort centers on three interconnected initiatives:

1. Publishing Core Values
   Helping newsrooms craft and prominently display clear statements that distinguish news from opinion and affirm impartiality, fairness and objectivity.
2. Rewarding Impartial Reporting
   Through its annual awards program — offering six $25,000 prizes — CFINR celebrates journalists whose work earns trust through objectivity and rigor.
3. Teaching the Next Generation
   Through its Campus Speaker Initiative, award-winning reporters mentor journalism students on ethics, impartiality and integrity.

Together, these programs reinforce a shared standard: journalism that is visibly committed to truth-telling without partisan framing.

An invitation to press associations

CFINR’s presentations are designed specifically for:

• State press association annual conventions
• Journalism organization meetings
• Newsroom leadership retreats
• Publisher roundtables

The sessions combine data, practical frameworks, newsroom examples and open discussion about the path forward for rebuilding trust.

If your organization is planning an upcoming convention or journalism gathering, CFINR would welcome the opportunity to participate.

Contact:
Rufus Friday
Executive Director
rfriday@cfinr.org
CFINR.org

Trust can be rebuilt. And it starts with visible standards.