According to the latest CIS Barometer<\/strong> (Spain\u2019s Centre for Sociological Research), nearly 26% of Spaniards<\/strong> believe that the main problem lies in politics itself\u2014politicians\u2019 behaviour, political instability, corruption, or the functioning of democracy. In total, over 65%<\/strong> see these as one of the country\u2019s three main issues. Similarly, the CIS Political Confidence Index<\/strong> shows a clear downward trend since the 2008 financial crisis, with all major political leaders rated poorly by the public.<\/p>\n The picture is similar worldwide. A recent IPSOS<\/strong> survey found that public confidence in governments\u2019 ability to manage the pandemic effectively has declined<\/strong> in most countries over the past year. Paradoxically, those elected to manage crises and public services are now among the least trusted\u2014an urgent signal that institutions must rebuild confidence through transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n According to the Edelman Trust Barometer<\/strong>, this trust crisis is most pronounced in governments and politics (53%)<\/strong>, but also affects the media (51%)<\/strong>, NGOs (57%)<\/strong>, and even the corporate sector (61%)<\/strong>\u2014which, despite everything, now ranks as the most trusted institution. The study highlights how the swift response of businesses<\/strong>\u2014from vaccine development to rapid adoption of remote work\u2014has improved their credibility and positioning. Today, people trust private companies more than governments<\/strong> to drive positive change.<\/p>\n Public disaffection with politics and institutions, the spread of misinformation and \u201cfake news,\u201d rising polarisation, and activism against poor corporate practices have all deepened a crisis of trust<\/strong> dating back to the 2008 recession\u2014now worsened by the pandemic. Back then, movements like Spain\u2019s 15M<\/strong> emerged. Could COVID-19 and its socio-economic fallout trigger a new wave of civic mobilisation? And how can lost trust be restored?<\/p>\n Trust, essential for any functioning society, rests on two pillars: competence<\/strong> (delivering on promises) and ethical behaviour<\/strong> (acting in the public interest). Citizens now demand credible leadership, broad consensus, and effective solutions. Within this context, new trends are emerging to help bridge the gap between citizens, companies, and institutions.<\/p>\n Over the past year, many citizens\u2014disillusioned with the slow or inadequate response from governments and businesses\u2014have organised independently. Acts of neighbourhood solidarity during the pandemic or after Storm Filomena<\/strong> are clear examples. Citizen-driven initiatives like Equipo Pa\u00eds<\/strong>, a collaborative platform of 130 entrepreneurs, academics, and business leaders working on strategic proposals for national recovery, or Talento para el Futuro<\/strong>, which empowers young people to become agents of change through an intergenerational pact towards 2030, illustrate this shift.<\/p>\n Movements such as 15M<\/strong> or Fridays for Future<\/strong> show that citizens are more informed, mobilised, and unwilling to settle for a democracy limited to voting every four years. They want to participate actively<\/strong> in shaping public policy. Opening new spaces for dialogue\u2014where governments, companies, and civil society can collaborate\u2014will be key to building a more transparent, participatory, and high-quality democracy.<\/p>\n \n The democratisation of information and the rise of hyper-transparency have intensified public scrutiny of corporations, increasing their reputational risks. In response, the traditional shareholder-focused model is evolving into a stakeholder capitalism<\/strong> that balances profit with purpose. From the Business Roundtable<\/strong> to the 2020 Davos Manifesto<\/strong>, hundreds of companies have committed to creating shared and sustainable value<\/strong>.<\/p>\n A McKinsey<\/strong> report notes that multinational corporations have unprecedented power<\/strong> to drive social change. In a global crisis like today\u2019s, expectations for responsible corporate leadership are higher than ever. Examples of corporate activism<\/strong> include Amazon\u2019s offer to the Biden administration<\/strong> to use its logistics network and technology for vaccine distribution; Telef\u00f3nica\u2019s \u201cManifesto for a New Digital Deal\u201d<\/strong>, advocating a people-centred digitalisation; and Google\u2019s Think FuTourism<\/strong>, a platform connecting experts to develop innovative solutions for the tourism sector.<\/p>\n This demand for responsibility extends to CEOs themselves. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer<\/strong>, eight in ten respondents<\/strong> expect CEOs to speak out on major social issues, and more than two-thirds believe they should act if governments fail to do so. Beyond ethical conduct and transparency, top executives are now expected to serve as agents of change<\/strong>\u2014so-called \u201cactivist CEOs.\u201d<\/p>\n We now face an unprecedented disinformation crisis<\/strong>. Citizens receive more information than ever, yet trust in news sources has plummeted. Edelman reports that 59% of respondents<\/strong> believe politicians, business leaders, and journalists intentionally spread falsehoods or exaggerations. With no trusted reference point, society struggles to discern reliable information. All media channels are at historic lows in credibility\u2014social media (35%)<\/strong> being the least trusted\u2014while confidence in traditional media has dropped eight points<\/strong>, to 53%<\/strong>.<\/p>\n In today\u2019s environment of instant, multi-channel, and unfiltered information, media outlets, digital platforms, and institutions<\/strong> must embrace greater transparency to rebuild trust. Governments must overcome their fear of openness, providing accessible, objective, and continuous information<\/strong>. For their part, tech platforms should strengthen partnerships with fact-checking organisations<\/strong> (such as Facebook\u2019s collaboration with Newtral<\/strong> and Maldita.es<\/strong> in Spain) while developing technological solutions<\/strong> to help users distinguish professional journalism from clickbait and misinformation.<\/p>\n The erosion of trust across governments, media, and institutions threatens democratic cohesion. Yet within this crisis lies an opportunity: to build a more open democracy<\/strong>, a more responsible capitalism<\/strong>, and a more transparent information ecosystem<\/strong>. Trust, once lost, takes time to rebuild\u2014but it remains the most powerful vaccine against collective uncertainty.<\/p>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"At a time of profound uncertainty\u2014health, economic, and social\u2014society has turned its gaze toward both public authorities and the private sector. Are organisations and their leaders living up to citizens\u2019 expectations? The COVID-19 pandemic, with more than two million deaths and an economic crisis rivaling the Great Depression, has accelerated a global erosion of public…","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":507,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-503","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-firmado","category-la-pecera"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![](\"https:\/\/harmon.es\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/telos-116-asuntos-comunicacion-diego-bayon-ilustra-daq.jpg\")
<\/p>\nOpen Democracy<\/h3>\n
Rethinking Capitalism<\/h3>\n
From Pandemic to Infodemic<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
In Summary<\/h3>\n