Academics the Most Trusted Source on Business

"Academics and industry experts are not only trusted content creators, they are also the most credible spokespersons in shaping opinions of a company."

So says a new study based on the Edelman Trust Barometer.

The main point of the study is that the public trusts search engines more than the press or the company.  The connection is that search engines can bring to the fore the assessments of people who are both informed (academics and industry experts) and, at the same time, not primarily trying to make a profit or shape opinion with their knowledge.

This is great news for those who want public discourse to be based on actual knowledge, not just opinion asserted as knowledge.