Thread by @RANDCorporation

Why can't we agree on the facts?

[thread]

The role of facts & analysis in American public life has been declining over the last two decades.

We call this #TruthDecay. It's led to alienation, a lack of civil discourse, political paralysis, and general uncertainty around what's true and what isn't. bit.ly/3M9OkGI

RAND has been studying #TruthDecay to better understand

🔧how it works
🔎why it's happening
💡what you can do to tackle it.

And we're excited to share two new videos, inspired by our research.👇

This new video by @MinuteEarth looks at how society often finds opinions “tastier” than facts — and what to do about it.

And @neilhalloran's new short film, On Seeking Truth, explores #TruthDecay by examining his own process as a documentarian: how he identifies facts and grapples with inconvenient truths.

We know that #TruthDecay isn't a problem that any one person can fix. But there *are* some things you can do to chip away at this problem...

1️⃣Consume information with intention.

Consider biases, seek out different perspectives, and think critically about what you're reading, watching, or listening to.

2️⃣Produce and share information responsibly.

Carefully evaluate accounts, articles, and sources that you choose to elevate. If you do share something that you find out is false, correct it.

3️⃣Hold friends and family accountable.

If someone is sharing information that's false or misleading, push back.

4️⃣Get offline and engage.

Take your conversations out of the comments section and attempt to build bridges with people who disagree with you.

Find out more about how you can help tackle #TruthDecay here: bit.ly/3FDW0hW

Gun policy. Health care reform. Climate change.

The U.S. is facing serious issues. It will be difficult to make progress without a shared set of facts to inform debates. See why #TruthDecay is a threat to policymaking and democracy here: bit.ly/3L9MkwW #RANDNextGen