Old Ways, New Approaches: Reknitting Social Cohesion in the 21st Century

Written by Christina Nemr and Eliza Thompson

For the Information Professionals Association (IPA), we examined the state of civic engagement in the U.S., finding multiple worrying trends but plenty of cause for optimism. Reinvigorating old practices for the digital age can help rebuild trust, cohesion, community.

A worrying trend is emerging in the United States, namely a decline in public trust. Confidence in major institutions fell to a record low in 2022 as Gallup recorded a significant decline in trust for 11 of 16 major U.S. institutions defined by Gallup, including all three branches of government, organized religion, and television news.

Moreover, uncertain times are increasing in-group mentality and identity-affirming misinformation, resulting in communities that are more divided and less engaged.

Alongside the decline in public trust and increased perception of polarization, the U.S. is experiencing declining levels of civic engagement and civic knowledge, as well as fewer community-oriented public and commercial spaces.

Meanwhile, membership across community organizations has decreased substantially in recent decades. Equally worrying, those who do belong to organizations are finding less positive value in them.

The decline in public trust and civic engagement are mutually reinforcing; without trust in government and institutions, citizen engagement is less likely to occur, and when it does it’s less likely to be productive. 

Unfortunately, the country’s disintegrating local media environment risks further exacerbating this decline.

A growing body of research demonstrates the importance of access to high-quality, inclusive local news to foster strong civic health in communities.

Where do we go from here?

So amidst trends of declining trust, declining civic engagement, and a declining local media environment, how do we right the ship?

Read the full article on IPA’s website.