As an industry, we have a duty to insulate ourselves from the power we are meant to hold to account. The media derives its credibility from its independence from power, particularly government power. Maintaining public confidence in that independence is of paramount importance.
Understanding the dynamics of polarization can help us to resist the spiral, and to break out of binary thinking by complicating dominant narratives.
Trust in news is plummeting and the media has been busy blaming everyone but the media itself. But in the meantime, the public has been sending a clear message: they don’t trust the news because they think it’s biased.
If we in the media want the public to listen to us, we must first listen to them. And if we expect the public to trust us, we’re going to have to start by trusting them.
