Losing Trust: How False Narratives Take Hold and What We Can Do About It | GBH Media Summit 2025

Among the casualties of the growing political and societal chasms are many once revered sources of credible information. From academic ivory towers to scientific institutions and think tanks, there are fewer mutually agreed-upon sentinels of trustworthy knowledge for a divided public. In this GBH Media Summit panel discussion, leading academic and journalistic experts unpack why public trust in large institutions has decayed–and what makes false information so attractive to consumers.

Introduction:
Caitlin Saks, Senior Producer, NOVA, GBH

Moderator:
John Avlon, Journalist, Author, News Anchor, Media Executive

Presenters:
Naomi Oreskes, Henry Charles Lea Professor of the History of Science, Harvard University
Renée DiResta, Associate Research Professor, Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy
Meg Marco, Senior Director (Acting), Applied Social Media Lab, Berkman Klein Center, Harvard University
Matthew Facciani, Postdoctoral Researcher, The University of Notre Dame

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