Cynicism and Social Trust in the New Media Environment

This article, with minor modifications, was the author's presidential speech to the International Communication Association conference, May 2001. It summarizes trends in social trust, trust in government, media, and other social institutions and evaluates the news and entertainment media's roles in these trends. Alternatives to causal accounts are proposed, including variations on genetic or “memetic” forms of explanation for media influences on macrosocial trends.