Trust and Truth

Confronting the erosion of truth, trust, and knowledge in an age of manipulation and misinformation.

Unravelling the Crisis of Trust and Knowledge

Over the past decade, we have witnessed (1) an acceleration in the demonization of experts and knowledge; (2) a prioritisation of opinions and personal experience over scientifically accepted facts; and (3) a declining trust in traditionally respected sources of factual information. Adding to this complicated situation is a context of competing, manipulative and persuasive narratives, each claiming to be truth, which undermine the public’s chances of distinguishing fact from fiction. With our democracies under threat by state and non-state actors, and with our online behaviour and data being monetised and instrumentalised by big online platforms, mis- and dis-information is power and currency, and the public’s confusion and manipulation is a profitable consequence.

Our aim is to create a safe and secure information infrastructure that fosters trust in order to better inform the public and decrease the manipulation of information, people and systems.

Objectives

To create a society where the public can delineate (1) fact from fiction; (2) reputable from non-reputable sources; (3) authentic from fake content.
To foster trust and recover from misinterpretation and misrepresentation.
To disincentivise mis- and dis-information.
To understand the impact of mis- and dis-information.
To understand the manipulation of systems and the impact of the algorithm on knowledge gain and gatekeeping.

Questions

How do misinformation ecosystems exploit cognitive biases, social dynamics, and algorithms to erode trust in knowledge?
What strategies and technologies can effectively distinguish and counter false narratives without undermining free expression?
How do platform algorithms shape information hierarchies, public opinion, and the boundaries of truth?
What new frameworks are needed to rebuild societal trust in expertise and evidence in the digital age?

Lead Academics

Dr Isobelle Clarke

Lecturer - Security and Protection Science

enable JavaScript to view email address

Dr Sophie Nightingale

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

Security Lancaster, Security Lancaster (Policing), Social Processes