Trust is harder to earn, easier to lose, and more important than ever.

Americans are increasingly skeptical of the institutions that govern them, the media that inform them, and the leaders who ask for their confidence. Artificial intelligence is complicating our ability to distinguish fact from fiction. Political polarization has made even basic questions of truth contentious. And in business, where credibility can determine whether employees embrace change or customers remain loyal, the consequences are increasingly tangible.

But the growing trust gap raises a question beyond why confidence is declining: What makes a leader, institution, or public figure trustworthy? Is it expertise, transparency, consistency, or something harder to define?

From the halls of power to the newsroom and the boardroom, Harry Walker Agency speakers explore how trust is established, what causes it to break down, and what leaders can do to earn it.

Why Have We Lost Faith in Our Institutions?

Institutions depend on more than formal authority. They depend on the belief that the people running them are competent, accountable, and acting in good faith. When that belief erodes, even sound decisions can struggle to gain public acceptance.

Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and former presidential speechwriter PEGGY NOONAN has spent decades examining the relationship between American leaders and the people they serve. Her perspective on political rhetoric, institutional responsibility, and the changing national mood offers insight into why public confidence has weakened and what restoring it might require.

But rebuilding trust also means finding ways to work with people who see the world differently. CNN political commentator and social entrepreneur VAN JONES draws on his experience building bipartisan coalitions to demonstrate how meaningful progress can emerge across ideological divides. Former White House Communications Director ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN brings an insider's understanding of political institutions and the pressures that test personal credibility. Together, their experiences raise a difficult question: How do we rebuild confidence when disagreement has become a defining feature of public life?

How Is Misinformation Changing Trust in Journalism?

The challenge of misinformation isn't simply that falsehoods exist. It's that people increasingly disagree about which sources deserve their confidence. In a fragmented information environment, the same facts can produce competing interpretations, and correcting a falsehood doesn't necessarily change someone's mind.

As co-anchor of PBS NewsHour, AMNA NAWAZ makes the case for rigorous, fact-based journalism at a time when public confidence in the media is under pressure. CNN anchor ABBY PHILLIP confronts that challenge from another angle, bringing competing political perspectives into conversation and navigating the difficult terrain between disagreement and productive dialogue.

Yet understanding why people believe something can be just as important as establishing whether it's true. CNN correspondent DONIE O'SULLIVAN investigates the communities and cultural forces that allow conspiracy theories and misinformation to flourish. His reporting reveals how identity and belonging shape our relationship with information, offering a lesson for anyone trying to communicate across divides: Facts matter, but so does understanding the audience.

Can We Still Trust What We See in the Age of AI?

Technology has made information more accessible, but it has also made authenticity harder to establish. As AI-generated misinformation becomes more sophisticated, from convincing deepfakes to fabricated news and images, the ability to verify information and hold its sources accountable is becoming essential.

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist RONAN FARROW examines what happens when powerful institutions operate without sufficient scrutiny. His investigations into surveillance technology, corporate misconduct, and artificial intelligence underscore the importance of transparency in an era when technological capabilities are advancing faster than public oversight.

For CNN anchor KAITLAN COLLINS, accountability begins with asking tough questions and pursuing answers, even when powerful figures would prefer otherwise. Award-winning journalist KATIE COURIC demonstrates the impact credible communication can have beyond the newsroom. Her groundbreaking advocacy for colorectal cancer screening showed how a trusted voice can move audiences from awareness to action.

Their experiences point to a distinction that matters for every organization: Having a platform creates visibility. What you do with it determines credibility.

Who Has the Power to Shape Public Opinion?

For generations, newspapers and television networks served as primary gatekeepers of public information. Today, independent commentators and digital creators increasingly compete with established institutions for influence. The shift raises new questions about what audiences value in the voices they choose to believe.

Political commentator and podcast host JENNIFER WELCH has built an audience through outspoken commentary and a conversational style that contrasts with traditional political coverage. Digital political commentator JACK COCCHIARELLA offers another perspective on the changing media landscape, particularly how younger audiences engage with politics through social platforms.

The growing influence of independent political commentators reflects a broader transformation in media trust: Institutional authority no longer guarantees an audience's confidence, while relatability and direct engagement can establish credibility outside traditional channels. For businesses and communicators, understanding that shift is increasingly important to reaching audiences who are skeptical of conventional messaging.

How Do Leaders Close the Trust Gap in the Workplace?

For businesses, trust isn't an abstract virtue. It determines whether employees embrace a new strategy, customers remain loyal, and stakeholders believe in an organization's future. Yet leaders often discover that communicating a compelling vision is easier than convincing people to follow it.

Former IBM Chairman and CEO GINNI ROMETTY understands that challenge firsthand. Leading IBM through a period of significant transformation required more than setting a new direction. It meant bringing people along through uncertainty. In her book Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World, Rometty emphasizes the responsibility leaders have to create meaningful change while earning the confidence of those affected by it.

The lesson extends well beyond the executive suite. Closing the leadership trust gap isn't simply a matter of better communication. Trust develops when employees see a consistent relationship between what leaders say and what they do.

Can Transparency and Self-Disclosure Build Greater Trust?

When credibility is under pressure, the instinct is often to become more guarded. But research into self-disclosure suggests that carefully managing what we reveal about ourselves isn't always the best way to build confidence.

Harvard Business School professor and behavioral scientist LESLIE JOHN studies how disclosure shapes relationships and decision-making. In her book Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing, she challenges conventional assumptions about the risks of openness, demonstrating how thoughtful self-disclosure can foster stronger connections. Her work explores the difference between sharing too much information (TMI) and too little information (TLI), and why withholding information can sometimes be more damaging to trust than revealing it.

Her research offers practical lessons for leaders navigating workplace communication and organizational transparency. Acknowledging limitations, sharing relevant information, and communicating with greater openness can sometimes accomplish what polished messaging cannot: giving people a reason to believe you.

What Will It Take to Rebuild Trust in Leadership and Journalism?

There is no single solution to the trust deficit. Better information alone won't overcome entrenched beliefs, and greater transparency means little without accountability. Whether the challenge is restoring trust in journalism, rebuilding confidence in political institutions, or closing the leadership trust gap in the workplace, progress requires understanding not only what people believe, but why they believe it and what they expect from those in positions of authority.

For businesses, institutions, and leaders, the challenge is also an opportunity. In a world where skepticism is widespread, the ability to earn and sustain trust can become a meaningful advantage.

Harry Walker Agency speakers bring firsthand experience and original insights to one of the defining challenges of our time, helping audiences understand the forces reshaping public confidence and the practical choices that can strengthen it.

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