# Trusted Intermediary A trusted intermediary is a person, institution, community, or channel whose established relationship with an audience lends credibility and context to a message. Intermediaries do not merely relay information; they interpret it inside a social frame. Trust may arise from expertise, identity, service, familiarity, accountability, or shared experience. Because intermediaries can be exploited or impersonated, responsible systems verify identity, disclose relationships, and distinguish warranted trust from manufactured authority. Related: [[wiki/Trusted Messenger Strategy|Trusted Messenger Strategy]], [[wiki/Institutional Trust|Institutional Trust]], [[wiki/Identity Assurance|Identity Assurance]], [[wiki/Influence Operations|Influence Operations]].