Rebuilding Trust In The Midst of a Knowledge Crisis
In my latest DTH conversation, I am joined by Bonnie Kristian, author of "Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community," The discussion underscores the pervasive lack of trust in institutions and the media within our society. Kristian emphasized how this erosion of trust has far-reaching consequences, corroding the foundations of our political discourse and communal integrity.
Central to our conversation was the pivotal role of media consumption in shaping individual perspectives and contributing to societal polarization. Bonnie stresses the importance of responsible media consumption. She highlights the need for individuals to cultivate expertise in a limited number of issues and to actively seek out media outlets that prioritize accuracy and transparency, issuing corrections when mistakes are made. By exercising discernment and holding media sources accountable, she contends, we can begin to mitigate the deleterious effects of misinformation and rebuild a foundation of trust in our shared public discourse.
One of the many vitally important takeaways in this amazing conversation is the tendency of some to see those with different beliefs as evil, and the importance of understanding different perspectives. Kristian addresses the allure of conspiracism and suggests that engaging in real-life community and conversations can help combat it.
Bonnie Kristian is a journalist and author. You may know her from her years writing and editing at The Week, but now she is the editorial director of ideas and books at Christianity Today and a fellow at Defense Priorities. While freelance, Bonnie was writing regularly at Reason and The Daily Beast, and she has been widely published at outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, NBC, and Politico.
Bonnie's first book was A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today (FaithWords, 2018). Her second book is Untrustworthy: The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community (Brazos Press, 2022). It's about how we increasingly don’t know what is true, what is knowable, or who we can trust—how our whole information environment is chaotic and overwhelming, and what we can do about it.
website: https://bonniekristian.substack.com/
Connect on (X): @bonnieKristian
Instagram: bonnie.kristian
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