For the past 20 years, Edelman has been measuring the trust that the informed public and mass population has in four major institutions - government, business, NGOs and media. This year's results reveal an alarming situation, however they also tell us that "business must take the lead on solving the trust paradox because it has the greatest freedom to act."

Read on for more of Edelman's important findings including what's driving distrust and share your reaction in the comments section below.