The oath was less a legalism than a philosophy of trust. It demanded not only accuracy but also intention, a moral commitment to honesty without omission or embellishment. Over time, it became a moral shorthand for credibility.

Centuries later, those same three principles underpin effective communications. As Jordan Burman argued in this podcast episode of Stories & Strategies, leaders and communicators alike still wrestle with the same challenge: how to earn and sustain trust. Burman’s answer is what he calls The Trust Trifecta,  authenticity, transparency and consistency.

Authenticity: being rather than appearing

Authenticity has become a corporate cliché, yet it remains elusive. Burman draws a distinction between “behaving” authentically and being authentic. The first is performative; the second is behavioural.

For PR professionals, authenticity means bridging what an organisation says with what it does. If a company publicly champions inclusion but internally tolerates bias, audiences will eventually detect the dissonance. Authenticity also demands humility: acknowledging what you do not know, admitting errors and showing a willingness to learn.

In practical terms, authenticity looks like executives who speak in their own voice rather than in rehearsed slogans, or brands that acknowledge missteps instead of obscuring them. In an environment of declining institutional trust, it is authenticity, not image, that confers credibility.

Transparency: clarity within limits

Burman is pragmatic about transparency. Full disclosure is not always possible, nor wise. But communicators can still be transparent about constraints. Saying “we cannot share details yet” is more honest than silence.

For leaders, that distinction signals respect for the audience’s intelligence. It also aligns with evidence that openness drives organisational trust. Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends report found that 86% of executives believe greater transparency enhances employee engagement.

For PR practitioners, the same principle applies externally. Transparency during a crisis does not mean publishing every fact; it means disclosing what is known, explaining what is unknown and providing a timeline for clarity. The discipline of transparency is to make ambiguity understandable.

Consistency: alignment across time and tone

Consistency is where trust becomes a habit. Burman separates it into two forms: intentional design and behavioural follow-through.

Intentional design requires planning how communications cascade across levels and channels. When leadership teams meet, the key takeaways should be agreed upon before messages spread informally. The goal is coherence, not uniformity.

Behavioural follow-through is the harder test. It is the integrity between word and deed. For communicators, this means ensuring that every public statement, internal email, investor briefing and social media post aligns with the same principles. Audiences notice patterns. When behaviour repeatedly confirms messaging, belief takes root.

Communication beyond words

The most revealing segment of Burman’s conversation concerned what he called communication beyond words. This is where the theory of trust becomes practice.

Words persuade, but tone convinces. Audiences interpret not only what is said but how it is delivered. The rhythm of speech, the pauses between sentences, the willingness to listen and the empathy conveyed in response all contribute to meaning. As Burman observed, leaders often ascend on technical skill and fluency, yet falter on connection.

For PR professionals, especially those in leadership, this insight is crucial. The deeper work of communications is not linguistic but relational. A well-written statement cannot substitute for a poorly managed relationship with a journalist, an unreturned call to a client or a lack of genuine curiosity in stakeholder concerns.

That lesson translates directly to PR. In an age where many client interactions happen over video calls or email threads, sincerity must travel digitally. Small habits, listening fully, asking before asserting, showing interest without agenda, are what build enduring partnerships.

Communication beyond words also involves reading context: cultural nuance, generational preference, even political sensitivity. A message that resonates in London may feel tone-deaf in Lagos or New York. The communicator’s task is to adjust not the truth but the expression of it.

Ultimately, credibility resides in congruence. When tone, timing, and behaviour align, audiences perceive authenticity even before they process content.

Lessons for PR professionals

Trust is not a communications strategy but a condition that makes communication possible. The medieval oath captured that truth.

For communicators, three practices stand out:

1. Start with alignment. Authenticity begins inside the organisation. If teams do not believe in the message, no audience will.
2. Practise transparent restraint. Clarity about what you cannot share often builds more trust than selective disclosure.
3. Nurture consistency. Repetition of values through action builds reputation more reliably than campaigns.

The deeper craft, however, lies in how those principles are expressed. Whether in agency or in-house leadership, the ability to listen, to read emotion and to modulate tone determines long-term credibility.

The medieval oath demanded witnesses swear to the truth in full measure. Modern communicators face the same challenge in a different guise. In an era of algorithmic amplification and public cynicism, the brands and leaders who embody the trust trifecta may not control every narrative, but they will command belief where it matters most.

Curzon PR is a London-based PR firm working with clients globally. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Business Development Team info@curzonpr.com