"Trust is the Number One Thing"
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“You’re doom scrolling on your phone at night, and in the couple of milliseconds that you decide ‘I’m going to read this, I’m not going to read that’ or ‘I believe this, I don’t believe that’—what matters in that decision? Is it who’s saying it? The topic? Here, you’ll have 10 minutes to decide, ‘Would I see this differently if the narration were from a school teacher? Or a man? Or someone I trusted versus someone I didn’t trust?’”
With these words, Battery Powered Executive Director Tim Wu opened a standing-room only Information Paradox Expert Night, introducing a performance of "Lust" from Tectonic Theater Project’s Seven Deadly Sins NYC, performed by national pole art champion Donna Carnow, written by Bess Wohl, and voiced by Cynthia Nixon. Wu explained that we chose to begin with this piece because the arts offer a visceral counterpoint to an often cerebral topic. They remain one of the safest spaces for audiences to challenge assumptions, confront bias, and encounter new or differing perspectives.
From there, award-winning Bay Area journalist Jan Yanehiro moderated a wide-ranging discussion on The Information Paradox: how we can access, share, and make sense of information in an age of overload, fragmentation, and disinformation. The evening brought together leaders in public media, democracy protection, global diplomacy, and artificial intelligence for a candid and urgent exchange.
Panelist Michael Isip, President and CEO of KQED, described the crisis facing public media as federal funding is eliminated after close to 60 years of government support. "Stations are going to go away," he warned, noting the essential role local stations play in delivering trustworthy journalism, emergency alerts, and educational programming. Beyond finances, Isip emphasized a deeper challenge: "The existential question is not how to replace federal funding. It’s how to stay relevant, relatable, and accessible, especially to younger generations."
Dixon Osburn, Executive Director of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, US, painted a stark picture of how hostile actors exploit the digital ecosystem. From Iranian "bot armies" posing as fake Latina activists, to militias destroying weather radars based on conspiracy theories, Osburn illustrated how abundance without reliability destabilizes societies. "We won’t solve crises in democracy, elections, or climate until we solve this information crisis," he said, pointing to the urgent need for transparency, accountability, and safety standards in technology.
Crystal Nix-Hines, attorney, screenwriter, and former U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO, connected global trends to local realities. "The house is on fire," she warned, recalling how hate-filled radio fueled the Rwandan genocide and drawing parallels to rising divisions in the U.S. today. "Everybody’s in their corners … and somehow we've got to find a way to build from the center out. There are still people out there in the center, and we have to figure out how to reach them and give them the courage to fight for the things that fundamentally we all want." She urged philanthropy to step in where government support has receded, stressing that this theme was identified "at exactly the right time" and that "fighting local" is essential to restoring trust and democracy.
Sean White, CEO of Inflection AI and former Chief R&D Officer at Mozilla, brought the perspective of technology’s promise and peril. While AI poses new risks for misinformation, he argued it could also empower people with "agency in navigating the flood of information.”" White cautioned against replacing human connection, but envisioned AI tools designed to be pro-social and safety-centered: "Every one of us, and our kids and grandkids, will use AI daily. We will need not just media literacy, but AI literacy too."
As audience members joined the conversation, themes of trust, division, and human connection resurfaced. One participant asked how to re-engage friends who are "checking out" of news altogether. Another worried about AI replacing therapists for those in grief. Panelists emphasized that human connection cannot be replaced and that community-based conversations—whether through media, philanthropy, or art—are essential for bridging divides.
Despite sobering warnings, the evening ended on a note of resolve. Across perspectives, panelists agreed that solutions begin locally, with communities insisting on transparency, building resilience to manipulation, and investing in trusted messengers. As Isip reminded the audience, "Technology is amazing and powerful, but it cannot replace meaningful personal interaction."
Watch our Expert Night panel and Q&A here: