Trust in Government Suffers a Severe Breakdown Across the Globe

Credibility of Governmental Officials and CEOs Experience Biggest Drops Ever, 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer Finds
January 22, 2012 

Blame for the financial and political chaos of 2011 landed at the doorstep of government, as trust in that institution fell a record nine points to 43 percent globally, according to the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer. In seventeen of the 25 countries surveyed, government is now trusted by less than half to do what is right. In twelve, it trails business, media, and non-governmental organizations as the least trusted institution. France, Spain, Brazil, China, Russia, and Japan, as well as six other countries, saw government trust drop by more than ten points. Government officials are now the least credible spokespeople, with only 29 percent considering them credible. Nearly half of the general population—the first time the Barometer looked at this broader group—say they do not trust government leaders to tell the truth.

Click here to view the findings from the 2012 Edelman Trust Barometer.  

    

Statement on the Passing of Tony Blankley by Edelman’s Rob Rehg

January 08, 2012 

Rob Rehg, president of the Edelman Washington office, issued the following statement today on the passing of Tony Blankley:

“Tony’s integrity, intellect and mastery of history and politics enriched our lives. He brightened our world with his colorful sartorial style, good humor and wonderful story telling. He was someone who truly fit the definition of a scholar and a gentleman. We were blessed to have had his wisdom, generous spirit and good company as part of our work family. We will miss him terribly."

Blankley, an accomplished author and political commentator, was executive vice president for public affairs in Edelman’s Washington office for the last four years.

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About Edelman
Edelman is the world’s largest independent public relations firm, with wholly owned offices in 60 cities and 4,000 employees worldwide. Edelman was named Advertising Age’s top-ranked PR firm of the decade and one of its “2010 A-List Agencies” and “2010 Best Places to Work;” PRWeek’s “2011 Large PR Agency of the Year” and “2011 Large UK Consultancy of the Year;“ European Excellence Awards’; “2010 Agency of the Year;” Holmes Report’s “Agency of the Decade” and “2009 Asia Pacific Consultancy of the Year;” and among Glassdoor’s top five “2011 Best Places to Work.” Edelman owns specialty firms Blue (advertising), StrategyOne (research), Ruth (integrated marketing), DJE Science (medical education/publishing and science communications), and MATTER (sports, sponsorship, and entertainment). Visit http://www.edelman.com for more information.  

    

Social Media’s Ability to Influence Policymakers Grows Globally

New Study Shows Over Half of Policymakers Use Facebook, Twitter and Mobile Technology to Reach Constituents on Important Issues
December 06, 2011 

A new study by Edelman, the 2011 Capital Staffers Index, shows the meteoric rise in Twitter use and social media channels is shaping and influencing policy worldwide. Policymakers have shown a dramatic increase in their use of social media channels such as Twitter, Facebook and mobile technology in the last year. This underscores the importance of social media and the Internet in educating policymakers and galvanizing them to support a policy issue.

View the infographic here.

Click here to view the global deck.

Jere Sullivan, Chairman of Global Public Affairs, discusses the findings from the study in this video.  

    

Edelman and Zeno Group Announce Expansion in Technology

Zeno Group Opens New Office In Silicon Valley
November 17, 2011 

Edelman, the world’s largest independent public relations firm, and its award-winning sister agency Zeno Group, announced today the opening of Zeno’s sixth office, to be located in Silicon Valley, and new Edelman/San Mateo leadership.