By Marchel Espina
Nielsen said that for the first time in the 10 years that they have been doing the report, the public has realised the “value and importance of independent professional reporting.” 
Trust gap widens in many parts of the world
He said there has been a significant increase in trust in news this year, with 44 percent of respondents saying they feel they can trust most news most of the time, an increase of 6 percent over the previous year. 
“Since there's been no similar increase in trust found via various digital platforms, such as social media, the trust gap between news in general and the news found via various platforms has grown in many parts of the world during the pandemic,” Nielsen said.  
He noted the level of trust varies from market to market. 
In Asia-Pacific, the trust levels are as diverse as the region, with higher numbers coming from Thailand, Singapore, and Australia and lower trust ratings in South Korea, the Philippines, and Taiwan, he said. 
Moreover, Nielsen said more trusted brands have done better during the pandemic, especially in terms of attracting a great audience and also retaining that audience by demonstrating value and by providing useful and credible information.
“We see this both for private sector providers like VG in Norway, and The Irish Times in Ireland, as well as public service media in many parts of Europe,” he added.
Nielsen also said there is still a concern about misinformation.
“When we ask people what topics they've s...