Trust in both higher education and the news media has collapsed at the same time, partly from outside attacks and partly from their own ideological drift, and this forum asks whether these two institutions, which share civic roles like informing the public and holding power accountable, may be making each other's crises worse. Bringing together two experts with competing explanations, Rhode Island College and Ocean State Media host the conversation not as neutral parties but as institutions that know firsthand what it means to be swept into a national narrative of distrust while serving their local communities well.

This presidential forum features moderator Ted Nesi and discussants Dr. Jack R. Warner, president of Rhode Island College, and Pam Johnston, president and CEO of Ocean State Media.