Age of Doubt: Building Trust in a World of Misinformation

‘Trust is the golden thread that binds our democracy, yet it is fraying. This book is a rich and diverse trove of information and opinions on dealing with a central issue of our time.’ ‘Now is the time for brave ideas about trust and democracy, and this collection has plenty.’ ‘If you can’t have facts, you don’t have truth. Without truth, you don’t have trust. Without these three, we have no shared reality, we cannot solve any problem together, and we cannot have democracy.’ Today, trust seems harder to find than ever before. It’s hardly surprising we feel that way. Our politics is polarised, our online world is awash with misinformation, and we’ve lost faith in our bedrock institutions. Yet, without trust, we cannot work together to solve the big problems we face. But there is a way back. A way to rediscover trust in our leaders and institutions. A way to tackle the doubt. This insightful collection of essays brings together top thinkers from across the globe in media, science, government, academia and business to examine how and why trust is disappearing, and how we might navigate these confusing times. It explores the origins of our misinformation culture and its impact on democracy. It looks at the moral and ethical foundations our institutions are built on, and shines a light on the media and its role in sorting fact from fiction. Expert minds in business, science and law enforcement explain how to maintain trust and how easily it can be broken, and leaders on the front line of technological development describe the influence of bots, conspiracy theories and generative AI. If we are to address the big issues facing our world, then, as observed by Maria Ressa, we must have trust, because without it we have no sense of shared reality. Alone, we can’t do it. Together, we might.

• | Author: Gavin Fang, Tracey Kirkland
• | Publisher: Monash University Publishing
• | Publication Date: Mar 01, 2025
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• | Binding: Paperback / softback
• | ISBN-13: 9781923192133
• | ISBN-10: 1923192132