Abstract 

Despite following best practice, most governments fail in their strategic communications. There is a missing ‘X’ factor: trust. This offers a quick win to strategic communicators, provided they understand what the phenomenon involves. Moreover, it allows practitioners to avoid the risk of citizens feeling betrayed when their government fails to deliver. 

Keywords: trust, communications, impersonal trust, distrust, reliance, co-operation, strategic communications 

About the author 

Dr Francesca Granelli is a Teaching Fellow at King’s College London, where her research focuses on trust. Her forthcoming book is Trust, Politics and Revolution: A European History.

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