Truth Decay: An Initial Exploration of the Diminishing Role of Facts and Analysis in American Public Life

A look at how a selective sorting of facts and evidence isn't just dishonest, but self-defeating to a society that has always worked best when reasoned debate and practical problem-solving thrive.

The report defines “truth decay” as a set of four related trends (of which fake news is only a little part) and offers lots of ideas for future research. It’s focused on the United States, though “there is evidence that this phenomenon is also occurring elsewhere, especially in Western Europe. One of the ways in which I find the RAND report most useful is that it highlights throughout where research is still needed — what the big questions still are. The authors reviewed more than 250 articles and books that fit into the Truth Decay framework; you’ll find all the buzziest studies and academics mentioned here. But, they say, there’s still so much more we don’t know. If you’re looking for something to study, you’ll find so many ideas here.