Can we rebuild trust when we can’t agree on facts?

Episode 211: In an era when misinformation spreads faster than facts, what does it mean to live truthfully — and why does it matter?

Hosts Richard Kyte and Scott Rada discuss the complicated role of truth in public life, personal relationships and digital spaces.

The conversation, inspired by Kyte’s new lecture series, “The Search for Meaning,” begins with a look at how truth has been understood since the time of Socrates. The Greek philosopher famously urged his followers to “know yourself,” warning that an unexamined life is not worth living. Kyte argues that the practice of questioning — and being questioned — is more essential than ever in a society awash in self-deception and confirmation bias.

But the discussion doesn’t stay in the ancient world. Rada and Kyte turn to today’s headlines, examining the turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where political pressures and conflicting claims about vaccines have left many Americans unsure who to trust.

“We should be able to figure out who’s right,” Kyte says. “But too often, we can’t.” The result, they argue, is a dangerous erosion of confidence in institutions central to democracy.

The episode also considers how technology magnifies the problem. Social media algorithms, designed to keep users engaged, may serve up baseball highlights to fans harmlessly enough. But when those same mechanisms steer people toward partisan content, politics becomes entertainment — with cheering and booing replacing thoughtful engagement.

“That’s not a spectator sport,” Kyte said. “It’s people’s lives.”

Scott Rada is a digital strategist with Lee Enterprises, and Richard Kyte is the director of the D.B. Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Kyte is also the author of "Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way)."

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