Building and Losing Trust: PR Lessons from The Salt Path

A few months ago, I wrote a piece for PR Week on the controversy surrounding Raynor Winn’s bestselling memoir The Salt Path.

At the time, a national newspaper's expose of The Salt Path's factual inacuracies was extremely fresh and raw in my mind, as a large shadow had already been cast over the best-selling memoir's legitimacy. Since then, the story has continued to unfold, and with this, it has raised some important wider questions for the PR and media industry around the broader themes of trust, authenticity and accountability: all issues that are central to small businesses and purpose-driven brands.

For businesses of all sizes, but especially small, founder-led firms that rely on positive word of mouth and referrals, trust is not just an abstract value; it is the absolute foundation of reputation, customer loyalty and long-term growth.

The case of The Salt Path, and the non-fiction series' high-profile fall from grace, is a stark reminder that building trust takes time, while losing your good reputation can take mere seconds if you follow the wrong path.

The Impact of Authentic Storytelling

Raynor Winn’s account of losing her home, facing her husband’s terminal diagnosis and walking the South West Coast Path struck a deeply personal chord for me, especially with Good Journeys being such a central theme of my podcast conversations with inspiring people. Winn's three published memoirs moved me beyond belief: the positive themes of personal resilience, vulnerability, human connnection and kindness shone through the author's words.

The Salt Path demonstrated the power that purpose-driven communication can have in our world as a force for good. Winn's books inspired audiences, sparked empathy and created meaningful engagement: I have genuinely lost count of how many people I recommended The Salt Path to in recent years.

But stories like this also show how easily trust can be shaken. The current allegations around The Salt Path remind us that when trust is questioned, audiences can feel deeply let down, because they believed in the story.

REPUTATION MATTERS TO CHARITIES

The third sector is particularly sensitive to reputational risk, and for good reason. The PSPA (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association), a UK charity supporting people with PSP and corticobasal degeneration, had partnered with Raynor and Moth Winn to raise awareness and funds. However, after The Observer's investigation, the charity swiftly announced that it was terminating the relationship, stating it was “shocked and disappointed to learn of the allegations” and that “too many questions currently remain unanswered.”

The charity clarified that all funds raised through official channels had been received, carefully handling a very difficult reputational situation. The PSPA's timely response and clear response highlighted a key lesson for PR for small businesses and charities alike: that partnerships with influential figures can be powerful, but long-term reputational alignment calls for thorough vigilance and due diligence. In simple terms, trust can be shared, but risk is shared as well.

Lessons in Trust for Small FIRMS

Authenticity isn't a marketing tactic; it is a promise that is made between the storyteller or brand and the audience. For small businesses, personal stories of purpose, mission or the journey behind the brand are often what set them apart. These stories can inspire loyalty, spark advocacy and create meaningful engagement, but only if they are credible and truthful.

The controversy around The Salt Path illustrates just how quickly trust can be eroded. Even small inconsistencies or unanswered questions can make audiences doubt the story and, by extension, the brand behind it. For small business owners, founders and communicators, this is a clear reminder that transparency and honesty matter just as much as the narrative itself. Fact-checking, thoughtful storytelling and careful alignment between words and actions are essential steps that must be taken to preserve a good reputation.

Ultimately, trust is a fragile thing but it is also the foundation for long-term success. Small businesses that build authentic, verifiable stories around their purpose will not only engage audiences but will also earn the credibility that sustains growth over time. And in a world where attention is fleeting and skepticism is high, safeguarding trust is the single most important investment that a small business can make in its brand today.

fact-checking is key to ethical comms

Purpose-driven communication demands rigour. Even when a story is compelling, professional communicators must verify claims, check facts and consider how every message might be scrutinised: the very reputation of the public relations industry depends on it. Want proof? Just look at the CIPR's code of conduct, which I follow closely as a Chartered PR practitioner, which says that members must "uphold the reputation of, and do nothing that would bring into disrepute, the public relations profession."

Rushing to share a story without ensuring its credibility risks damaging not just one narrative, but the broader reputation of a brand, organisation or even our profession.

Small businesses, especially those leveraging personal or mission-driven stories, need to always take steps to balance emotional resonance with accuracy. Doing so does more than strengthening long-term credibility; it also fosters trust with customers, donors and stakeholders.

Handling narrative Complexity in PR

Stories are rarely entirely black or white: that's a fact that I have come to appreciate more and more with each passing year and every grey hair. Memory is fallible and experiences are subjective. Many readers have still found value, hope, and inspiration in The Salt Path, despite the ongoing scrutiny, and no doubt will continue to do so in the future.

For PR professionals, recognising that shades of grey exist is essential. Integrity does not demand perfection, but it does require honesty about what is indusputably true and what is subjective. Walking this tricky tightrope thoughtfully is a hallmark of purpose-driven PR.

Building Long-Term Trust

The controversy surrounding The Salt Path has continued on since I shared my perspective with PR Week over the summer. Penguin has delayed Winn’s next book, charities have withdrawn support and Winn's website currently features a responsive statement to the claims made.

For small businesses, charities, and purpose-driven brands, there is a strong lesson to be learnt from this unfortunate situation that goes far beyond the world of media and popular literature: the simple lesson that trust is the absolute cornerstone of reputation. It requires consistency, transparency and humility; strong storytelling is important, but only when it can withstand scrutiny. At the end of the day, authenticity is not about performance; it is about integrity and your actions lining up fully with your words.

The ultimate measure of effective PR and marketing should never be how moving a story sounds, but rather whether it can stand up to scrutiny if and when difficult questions come. -- Ben Veal, founder of Second Mountain Comms, is a seasoned PR and marketing professional with a purpose-driven mindset. With 20 years' experience spent working with household names across numerous sectors, Ben Veal is a CIPR Chartered Practitioner, content creator, podcast host and journalist. He is also a four-time Gold winner at the CIPR Pride Awards, recipient of the 2022 CIPR Mark of Excellence award and was named 'Independent PR Practitioner of the Year' at the 2023 CIPR EXCELLENCE Awards.