There is a discouraging fact of trust in the media, in companies and in charities that has grown recently. Scandal’s like that of Oxfam’s in May, and the ways in which they are reported in the media, have not helped to change that.

New research has highlighted the lack of positive news sources. Just a fifth of the population have heard positive news about charities (22%), universities or colleges (18%) and local councils (17%) in the last three months. According to Sapio Research, the picture for social enterprises (13%) and trade unions (10%) is even worse. In all, 54% have not heard any positive news about these organisations.

The research highlights the continued lack of trust people show in all media outlets and organisations, providing further proof that the problem gives no indication of going away any time soon. For PR professionals, who work to creative positive news for their organisations, this problem is worrisome.

To address the shortage of good news, social enterprise Campaign Collective launched a new media outlet – the Rooftop – a month ago to provide the public with a daily dose of positive news.

In its first four weeks, the Roofop has seen more than 400,000 content views of stories about the positive impact of social enterprises, charity campaigns, exciting developments from local government, trade union victories in the workplace and groundbreaking research by universities.

With the hope of creating a trustworthy platform, helping stories that restore people’s faith in humanity, due to their kindness, to be heard, Rooftop’s initiative is an effort to restore faith and trust in business.

Jane Hales, managing director of Sapio Research, says, “In the work we do for other charities and campaigns, we know how important it is to generate positive news and this research demonstrates just how important it is to have a site like the Rooftop to spread positive news direct to the public.”

The website and social channels are designed to help charities and campaigners connect with the general public and get their positive stories heard in what is often a negative mainstream media climate.

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