Grand Forks Herald applies The Trust Project standards to increase news transparency

We know you rely on accurate information to make confident decisions for your life. But there is a lot of misinformation out there – some of it very convincing, which allows that misinformation to spread quickly.

That’s why the Grand Forks Herald has joined The Trust Project, which aims to help newsrooms and journalists actively demonstrate credibility. The project partners with newsrooms across the country to experiment with and implement a variety of trust-building strategies. This includes public-facing policies and clear labeling on opinion and sponsored content.

“More than ever, news consumers need to know they can trust their local newspaper to provide them with honest reporting, based on time-honored journalism values and guided by ethics,” said Herald Publisher Korrie Wenzel. “We're pleased to be involved in the Trust Project and hope it brings value not only to how we report the news, but also to the customers who need to trust us as we report about their communities.”

The project uses its Eight Trust Indicators as a framework. These indicators are a collaborative, journalism-generated standard that help both readers and search engines assess the authority and integrity of news. They were developed from user-centered research and adopted by all program participants. The eight trust indicators are: Best Practices; author/reporter expertise; type of work labels; citations and references; methods; local sourcing; diverse voices; and actionable feedback. More information can be found here .

“We proudly welcome the Grand Forks Herald into the global Trust Project. Their commitment to accuracy, inclusion, impartiality and accountability underscores journalism’s vital role in every community - and throughout democracy,” said Sally Lehrman, founder and chief executive of the Trust Project. “Together, the Trust Project Network amplifies integrity-based journalism and slows the spread of false and misleading claims around the world.”

To learn more about The Trust Project and the 8 Trust Indicators, visit thetrustproject.org .