Truth decay is the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life, it is a phenomenon that erodes civil discourse, causes political paralysis, and leads to general uncertainty around what is and is not.

Stijn Hoorens, Director, RAND Europe will join CILIP Conference 2024 as keynote speaker with a talk on truth decay that will shed light on how libraries can help to counter it.

“Truth decay is not a right-wing or a left-wing phenomenon, it is a problem for the functioning of democracies and societies as a whole,” said Stijn.

“Of all professions, librarians are probably best equipped to tackle truth decay, by distinguishing between fact and opinion, assessing reliability of sources, identifying potential sources of objective information, and offering a historical perspective.”

Stijn’s conference address will focus on a 2021 research report that RAND conducted into the spread of truth decay from the US into Europe, as part of the Countering Truth Decay Initiative.

“Perhaps most importantly, librarians have an opportunity to transfer those media literacy skills to others, young to old, to help them navigate the information landscape and recognise cognitive biases.”

Stijn will introduce the concept of truth decay, explain the four main trends that contribute to this phenomenon, discuss drivers and consequences, with the aim of finding ways to mitigate its spread.

“Do not underestimate the potential importance of physical libraries as locations where people can get out of their bubble and encounter people with different sets of beliefs, opinions or backgrounds. A healthy democracy is helped by an open exchange of views,” said Stijn.

As part of the talk, Stijn will present findings from the study analyse truth decay in Europe in relation to the to the situation in the US.

“The signs are worrying, but the silver lining is that there are ways to mitigate truth decay and that the trends of truth decay are not as manifest in Europe as they are in the US,” added Stijn.

A longer-form interview with Stijn appears in the June edition of IP magazine and online here. 

Find out more about CILIP Conference 2024’s lineup of keynote speakers, expert panel discussions and presentations, visit: https://cilipconference.org.uk/