The 2013 edition of the Trust Barometer from US-based public relations firm Edelman shows people increasingly regard experts such as academics or even their peers as more reliable sources of information than institutional leaders.
Edelman’s president and CEO, Richard Edelman, has told The Associated Press that the survey found “a very significant crisis of leadership.”
The results come in the wake of inside trading scandals in the United States, a major corruption case involving Chinese politician Bo Xilai, and reports that major banks manipulated a key interest rate benchmark.
The survey probed the opinions of 31,000 people in 26 countries.