Believing the news: From sinking trust to atrophied efficacy

It is not that people disbelieve the news that they consume, but that its long-term impact upon their political confidence is corrosive. They come to believe that if the world is as they see and read about it, scope for making a positive difference is slim. In the context of three recent crises - financial, political and media - this article sets out an argument for thinking about trust and efficacy as closely related concepts.