Islamic Education Institutions and Public Trust: A Study of Public Relations in Madrasatul Qur’an Islamic Boarding School Tebuireng Jombang and Roudhotul Mustofa Islamic Boarding School Rejotangan Tulungagung, East Java, Indonesia

This research is motivated by the selection of communication media in public relations which is closely related to the success of information that will be conveyed to the public and able to build public trust. In pesantren institutions, the position of public relations is expected to be able to build trust in the community, especially in facing the challenges of contemporary education. Pondok Pesantren Madrasatul Qur’an (MQ) Tebuireng Jombang and Pondok Pesantren Roudhotul Mustofa Rejotangan Tulungagung East Java are pesantren institutions that apply public relations methods to build trust in the community. The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation of social media, the implementation of human resource competencies, and the implementation of word of mouth in increasing public trust in Madrasatul Qur’an (MQ) Tebuireng Jombang and Roudhotul Mustofa Rejotangan Tulungagung East Java Islamic Boarding Schools. This research approach uses qualitative methods. The data collection techniques are participant observation, in-depth interviews and documentation. Data analysis techniques used are data condensation, data presentation, and conclusion drawing. This study found that the implementation of social media in increasing trust uses new media and old media. The implementation of human resource competencies in increasing public trust is carried out through organizing training for public relations officers. While the implementation of word of mouth in increasing public trust is done by direct promotion carried out by pesantren stakeholders.