More confidence, please!

When news anchor Ingo Zamperoni says goodbye to his viewers, he likes to use a well-known phrase: "Stay confident!" Ilka Brecht also often sends the "Frontal 21" audience off into the evening with this request. No wonder, because what we are currently seeing in the news and political programs can certainly dampen optimism. But what does confidence actually mean? According to the dictionary, it means "firm trust in a positive development in the future, in the fulfillment of certain wishes and hopes". And this is exactly what people have lost.

We are living in a time that is characterized by many challenges. "The current situation is new in its density and simultaneity: pandemic, climate crisis, wars, inflation - this creates a kind of 'polycrisis' that overwhelms many people," explains Prof. Jan Ilhan Kizilhan, psychologist and head of the Institute for Transcultural Health Research at the Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (see interview). "Our brain reacts to uncertainty with stress, it searches for orientation. If this fails to materialize, fear and loss of control arise. And this is exactly where populist leaders come in: They offer simple answers, clear images of the enemy and a sense of control - highly effective psychologically, but dangerous socially. Trust is lost when people don't feel seen, understood or protected."

People see black

A new in-depth psychological study by the market research institute Rheingold Salon together with the industry initiatives #UseTheNews and Initiative 18, which are supported by associations from the advertising industry such as the GWA (Association of Germany's Leading Communications Agencies), Die Mediagenturen by advertising industry associations such as the GWA (Association of Leading German Communications Agencies), Die Media-Agenturen, OWM (Organization of Advertisers in the German Brands Association) and advertising companies such as Dr. Oetker and Rewe as well as numerous media companies and marketers (ARD MEDIA, Funke Medien Gruppe, Hubert Burda Media, Prisma Verlag, ProSiebenSat.1 Media, RMS Radio Marketing Service, RTL Deutschland and Weischer Media). It is the kick-off for the "Project Confidence", with which the media, business and politics want to win people back over to new beginnings, optimism and social cohesion.

The results show: The outlook of the people in Germany is glaring - the majority see a bleak future for the country. 78% agree with the statement: "We will drive the country into the wall if we carry on as before." 67% feel left alone by the system and politics. People rate the overall economic and political situation as poor. 70 percent have little trust in politics, 60 percent in the media and almost half have little trust in companies. The situation is very similar in Switzerland: In a survey conducted by the opinion research institute GFS Bern on behalf of "Blick" at the beginning of the year, almost half of the Swiss population assessed the year 2025 as rather or very gloomy for society, with only twelve percent describing themselves as confident. The Swiss Hope Barometer 2025 paints the same picture: although most people in Switzerland are satisfied with their lives, they are concerned about global and social developments. There is a lack of confidence that politics and the economy can solve social and ecological problems.

Back to the private sphere

In the Rheingold Salon study, people stated that they felt powerless and did not feel that they could influence or change anything themselves. This leads people to withdraw into their personal environment. Here they make themselves as comfortable as possible, 85% believe that they and their family are basically doing well. In other words, a personal state of mind goes hand in hand with pessimism and a lack of confidence in the country. "The whole thing leads to a diabolical dynamic: the less people believe they can make a difference in the country's communities, the more they try to make things look good in their private lives and seek reassurance there," explains study author Jens Lönneker, Managing Director of Rheingold Salon. "At the same time, however, many people are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with politics and the system. This in turn encourages populist and system-critical movements. Now that large communities such as parties, trade unions and churches have lost more and more of their relevance, we are coming up against the limits of a highly individualized society. There is now clearly a lack of resonance from these communities in order to convey self-efficacy. If you follow the study, the consequence is that we have to learn to form communities again, to value them and to have fun realizing common goals. In our study, people who did this had the feeling that they were making a difference and were significantly more confident."

The role of the media

The media also play an important role in creating a sense of community. After all, community is best built locally and social division can be reduced in this way - a real advantage of regional media. They bring people together and listen. Serious listening is seen as a central measure for more confidence, and this requires space and expertise. "The study provides the media with a clear mandate for action," says Manfred Kluge, Chairman DACH of the Omnicom Media Group and co-founder of Initiative 18, which is involved in the project. "We need journalism that listens more and is more solution-oriented and constructive. People are tired of only being confronted with bad news, in the worst cases with sensationalist headlines. Local journalism also has a special role to play here, as it has the power to serve as a seismograph for local problems and to help generate or implement solutions. One of the questions for the creative industries is whether the hype of individualization should not be turned back into more communal and positive experiences."

In general, the local environment as a space of trust continues to grow, says Meinolf Ellers, Managing Director of #UseTheNews: "The greater the distrust of digital platforms, social media and the dark side of artificial intelligence, the stronger the turn towards a familiar local environment is likely to become. There are new opportunities here for regional media and local journalism, but also for local politics and new forms of participation and co-determination. This requires new concepts and offerings that take into account the digital usage habits of the next generation in particular. The partners in the Zuversicht project have set out to develop and test corresponding ideas over the next few months."

Prof. Kizilhan also appeals for a more conscious approach to media: "Media should not only show problems, but also solutions - successful projects, human interaction, progress. And we as consumers need a 'media fast': specific times for information, but also conscious breaks. Brands and advertising also have a responsibility. They create narratives and shape world views. If they manage to convey authenticity, solidarity or the courage to change, they can create hope - and therefore trust." The media are important to people: 84% said that democracy would not work without independent media. All the more reason to remain confident!

"People rate the overall economic and political situation as poor."

"Serious listening is seen as a key measure for more confidence."