Trust in The Times of India: The Key to Its Continued Success as India's Most Trusted News Brand

TOI tops 16 trust parameters, joint first in the other two as per research. The findings buttress earlier studies by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University.

India’s largest news media brand, The Times of India (TOI) has once again proven its position as the most trusted English news brand in India, according to a recent survey conducted by Nielsen. The survey, commissioned by the Times Group, analyzed 52 brands across different media types and rated them on a trust index. The survey found that TOI scored 77.6 on the index, well ahead of Twitter at 60.7 and BBC World News at 56.5.

Compared to its peers in the print and digital space, TOI's lead was even greater. The next-placed Hindustan Times scored 53.4 and Hindu scored 31.4. In addition, half of the respondents who had read any print or digital media in the month preceding the survey had read TOI every day, and 62% had read it at least once in that month. By contrast, 31% had read Hindustan Times every day, and 40% had read it at least once. Similarly, 23% had read Hindu every day, and 33% had read it at least once.

The survey's findings are consistent with earlier studies conducted by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at Oxford University, which also found TOI to be the most trusted of India's major media brands for two consecutive years. TOI received the highest scores in response to statements like "it provides factual, in-depth news that is without ambiguity" and "it has views from different sources making it more diverse," demonstrating its commitment to quality journalism. This suggests that The Times of India is successfully meeting the needs and expectations of its readers by providing factual, in-depth news that is without ambiguity, and offering views from different sources, making it more diverse than other print and digital brands. The high level of trust in The Times of India also highlights the importance of quality journalism, which plays a vital role in informing and engaging readers and maintaining a healthy democracy.

The Nielsen survey also highlighted an interesting finding that people trust brands or services advertised in print and digital media outlets more than those advertised on TV and digital media channels. "For the top 3 most consumed brands, significantly higher number of people prefer the printed version of the newspaper reiterating the power of print as a medium of trust," the survey concluded. This finding has important implications for advertisers and marketers, who need to carefully consider the media channels they use to reach their target audience. Overall, the survey underscores the continued relevance and value of traditional media channels, even in an increasingly digital world.

In an effort to continue promoting its commitment to truthful and unbiased journalism, the Times of India launched an innovative marketing campaign with T (truth) and F (false) as protagonists.

The advertising, inspired by salient points from the recent Nielsen survey, showcases the eternal battle between truth and falsehoods in a graphic novel avatar. The campaign highlights the many ways in which falsehoods attempt to overpower truth, such as through fake forwards and noise while emphasizing TOI's commitment to ensuring that truth prevails.

As India's leading news source, TOI has continued to provide its readers with diverse perspectives, factual news, and in-depth coverage. The survey findings are a testament to the paper's commitment to quality journalism and its ability to keep readers informed and engaged.

In light of the survey results, Mr. Kaustuv Chatterjee, director TOI, Languages brands and NPI said, "We are thrilled that TOI has been rated the most trusted news brand in India once again. This recognition reinforces our commitment to providing our readers with the most accurate, insightful, and unbiased news coverage. We will continue to deliver impact with the rigor we put into our stories. We thank our readers for their continued trust in us."

With TOI's reputation for delivering unbiased, trustworthy news being recognized by numerous studies in the past, this latest survey only reinforces TOI's position as India's most trusted news brand, a testament to its unwavering commitment to journalistic excellence and its ability to provide its millions of Indian readers with the most reliable and diverse news coverage.