The book accompanies the honor of being the recipient of the 2026 Brown Democracy Medal from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy
Trusting News’ book ‘The Transparency Imperative’ is now available
As recipients of the 2026 Brown Democracy Medal from the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University, Trusting News staff had the opportunity to write a book focused on journalists’ crucial role in democracy.
“The Transparency Imperative: Journalism, Trust, and the Future of an Informed Democracy” is now available, and the Kindle store has a free version available for pre-order.
The book is framed around the public’s deep mistrust in news, and the research, strategies and approaches we train journalists on to effectively earn trust with their audiences. While the book focuses on journalism’s role in democracy, our hope is it feels valuable and relevant for any civic leaders interested in the information ecosystem.
This year marks the first time the Brown Democracy Medal has gone to a media organization. Executive director and founder Joy Mayer, as well as Project Manager Mollie Muchna, traveled to the McCourtney Institute at Penn State University in October to accept the award and deliver a lecture on the topic. You can watch it in full here.
This award feels like validation for journalism’s essential functions of equipping the public to participate in democracy and holding democratically elected leaders accountable. Here’s what Chris Beem, McCourtney Institute for Democracy managing director, said about the selection:
“We felt that this year was the time to give journalism its due and sought nominations of organizations doing innovative work in media,” Beem said. “Democracy depends on the fourth estate, and Trusting News is striving to make that role viable once again in American society.”
We’re grateful to the McCourtney Institute for the recognition. And we’re grateful to all of the journalists and partners we’re so lucky to work with. This honor belongs to you as well — our work at Trusting News wouldn’t be possible without partner journalists and organizations who are dedicated to mission-driven journalism and rebuilding the public’s trust in responsible news.
At Trusting News, we learn how people decide what news to trust and turn that knowledge into actionable strategies for journalists. We train and empower journalists to take responsibility for demonstrating credibility and actively earning trust through transparency and engagement. Learn more about our work, vision and team. Subscribe to our Trust Tips newsletter. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Project manager Mollie Muchna (she/her) has spent the last 10 years working in audience and engagement journalism in local newsrooms across the Southwest. She lives in Tucson, Arizona, where she is also an adjunct professor at the University of Arizona’s School of Journalism. She can be reached at mollie@trustingnews.org and on Twitter @molliemuchna.
