When truth itself becomes negotiable, credibility becomes a company’s most fragile asset. Heather Blundell, UK CEO Grayling argues that trust has overtaken profit as the ultimate measure of leadership strength.

Trust has become the most valuable and volatile commodity in business.

New research from Grayling Media, produced with research partners More in Common, reveals that the erosion of public confidence in information is not just a cultural or political issue; it is a business one. The same scepticism reshaping how Britons consume news is redefining how they judge the companies, leaders and institutions that serve them.

More than half of Britons, 56 percent, now believe there is no single truth about world events. Facts have become flexible, shaped by perspective and preference. Even among those aged 75 and above, many question whether objective truth exists at all. When belief itself becomes negotiable, the consequences for leadership credibility and corporate reputation are profound.

A generation that does not believe what it is told

For younger Britons, especially Gen Z, trust in traditional authority has collapsed. They are twice as likely to use AI tools to gather information as they are to read a newspaper. They turn to influencers, podcasters and online creators for insight, often valuing authenticity over accuracy. Three in ten said that Nigel Farage is the best communicator on social media. Only a small proportion said the same about the Prime Minister.

For business, the message is clear. The next generation does not trust hierarchy, polished messaging or institutional tone. They expect leaders and brands to sound human, to show vulnerability and to speak in real time. They prize honesty and consistency over control. In this world, credibility cannot be manufactured. It must be lived.

The paradox of information

Britons are consuming more content than ever but trusting less of it. AI, social media and chatbots are now part of daily life, yet most people openly doubt their reliability. Avoiding AI-generated content ranks as a top public priority for future media use, second only to wanting information they can trust more.

Traditional outlets still hold an edge in perceived accuracy, with 60 percent of the public saying they provide better accounts of world events than new media. But the shift is unmistakable. Daily use of AI tools for information has now caught up with newspaper reading, and among Gen Z it has already overtaken it.

For businesses, this creates a communications paradox. The channels that offer the greatest reach are also those that carry the greatest reputational risk. One misleading post, false claim or deepfake can move faster than any statement of correction. The companies that survive will be those with built-in transparency and the agility to act before misinformation hardens into perception.

The politics of mistrust

The trust divide also mirrors political polarisation. Reform UK voters are the most sceptical of traditional journalism, with half saying they distrust reporters at organisations such as the BBC. By contrast, two-thirds of Liberal Democrat voters trust mainstream journalists, and almost half of Labour voters plan to use the BBC more.

For business leaders, this fragmentation of belief means there is no longer a single national audience. Customers, employees and investors interpret information through entirely different lenses. Communication now requires empathy and precision. A single message will not land universally, and silence will often be filled by someone else’s narrative.

Leadership in the age of disbelief

The democratisation of information has been both a gift and a threat. Anyone can now publish, broadcast or critique. That includes those who deliberately distort the truth. If you want to believe a company is unethical, you can find a post to prove it. If you want to believe a CEO is corrupt, you will find a video that confirms it.

In this landscape, under-communication is as dangerous as misinformation. Leaders must speak clearly, consistently and with conviction, even when the truth is complex.

Trust has become the new currency of business. It is what gives brands resilience, leaders credibility and companies permission to operate. The trust deficit is real, and it is widening. Those who treat it as a communications challenge will lose. Those who recognise it as a leadership imperative still have time to act.