Reputation, trust, and misinformation risk have moved to platforms and AI chatbots. What the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism 2026 Digital News Report mean for investor and technology company trust and reputation strategy.

Two days at the Global Corporate Venturing Symposium in London confirmed something I have believed for years: the biggest barrier to innovation in investment, defence, and deep tech is not the technology. It is the risk-averse culture inside the institutions that should be accelerating it. Here is what the signals said, and why it matters now.

Two landmark global studies published this month reveal something the AI industry is not yet ready to hear. Public trust in AI is falling in the markets that matter most, and the information environment through which people form their opinions about it is in crisis. This is not a communications problem. It is a strategic one. Julio Romo draws on data from the Ipsos AI Monitor 2026 and the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2026 to examine what the signals mean for AI companies, governments, and investors, and why tactical communications is making the trust deficit worse, not better.

Sir Martin Sorrell is wrong. Reputation is not built through volume and reach — it is built through trust, judgement and behaviour over time. The argument that leadership communications needs.

The 2025 US National Security Strategy marks a break from liberal globalisation. Supply-chain control and strategic competition are now board-level priorities. What this means for investors and executives.

Most M&A failures are not caused by financial errors but by mismanaged perception, weak private engagement and cultural misunderstanding. Trust, reputation and strategic advisory must sit at the centre of every deal. This article explains why private communications, geopolitical fluency and cultural intelligence are now essential to securing stakeholder confidence and protecting value.

AI is transforming consulting, but leaders still need human judgment and expertise. This is why strategists skilled in perception, reputation, and trust are essential to harness AI that builds confidence that drives growth.

What soft power is, how countries use it to shape diplomacy, trade and investment, and why it still matters in a more contested, multipolar world. The Foreign Policy Centre has just released its latest report outlining a way forward for the UK Government to develop soft power.

As AI transforms work, human skills, trust, empathy, and reputation, are becoming the true growth drivers. Leaders in business, government, and investment must use AI for productivity, not just efficiency, to secure long-term resilience and competitive advantage.