Trust is no longer a foregone conclusion; in fact, organizations are safe to assume to be starting from a position of mistrust. So if you know you’re trusted by someone, guard it and nurture it faithfully. Missteps require making amends, but sometimes that won’t be enough or won’t result in any immediate change. Be patient,… read more →
It’s easy to think that the political and public polarization of this country is a fairly recent phenomenon, but it isn’t; we’ve seen it steadily growing for a long time. It just took a few people with talent for propaganda and promotion to more clearly define the tribes, identify the enemies and light the match.… read more →
Have too many of us lost the ability to think critically? Maybe. One of the toughest challenges that we face is finding and agreeing on common, evidence-based facts. We’ll never agree on the truth until we can do that. Public engagement requires a collective, common understanding of information – thus the Inform level of the… read more →
Understanding why people believe the things they believe is core to understanding the phenomenon of fake news and disinformation. And helping people become more information and media literate (think the Inform level of the IAP2 Spectrum) is core to public engagement and, frankly, the future of democracy. Knowing that it’s human nature to feel first… read more →
Public Participation is Necessary for Democracy When determining how to ensure effective public participation, it should be noted that public participation is no less than the bedrock of a functioning democracy. Thomas Jefferson, the author of the U.S. Constitution, said, “I know no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people… read more →
Most rational people hate conflict; it’s uncomfortable, we can’t really control it, so we do everything we can to avoid it. Problem is, the U.S. is a nation in greater conflict now than ever before – at least in modern history. 81 million people on one side, 74 million on the other – with yet… read more →
As vaccines become more widespread, we’ll all slowly re-emerge from this forced hibernation and gradually start meeting face to face again. But communicating and connecting online is here to stay and part of our collective futures, so maximizing its effectiveness is a wise thing to do. Humans are social creatures and making connections is critical.… read more →
Edelman is a global communication firm that has tracked trends in public trust for the past 20 years. Their annual trust barometer measures public trust around four institutions: big business, media, non-governmental organization and government. Their data and analysis has been a goldmine for informing the work that we do if we bother paying attention… read more →
Abraham Lincoln is the guy who said, “… you may fool people for a time; you can fool a part of the people all the time; but you can’t fool all the people all the time.” I’m confident that lies have been around since language was invented, but saying things that clearly aren’t true always… read more →