Last June, the Reuters Institute published their Digital News Report 2021. According to their findings based on data from six continents and 46 markets, most respondents, about six in ten, admit some lack of trust in the news.
Things are even worst when it comes to public institutions. I quote from the UN website, "in the United States, trust in the national government has declined from 73 per cent in 1958 to 24 per cent in 2021. Western Europe has seen a similar steady decline in public trust since the 1970s."
Similar trends and data can be found in many industries and sectors.
I believe that one of the root causes of the intense polarization we are experiencing at this moment is the lack of trust.
We don't trust our leaders; we don't trust the media; we don't trust organizations, and the worst thing, we don't trust each other.
How can we find common ground if I don't trust you?
To me, this is the biggest wound that we need to heal.
Trust is what holds us together.
Without it, we all shift into survival mode, and we see others as threats.