Trust is not just declining. It is narrowing. More people are retreating into smaller circles, listening mainly to those who feel familiar, and treating institutions with suspicion.

In this episode of Stories and Strategies, Farzana Baduel and Doug Downs speak with Tim Weber, EMEA Head of Editorial at Edelman, about the latest Trust Barometer findings and what they reveal about polarisation, insularity, and collapsing belief in institutions. As trust shrinks to “people just like me”, businesses face a new communications challenge in how they lead, engage employees, and show credibility.

The conversation explores why fear shuts down listening, why hope reopens it, and why persuasion alone is no longer enough. In a fragmented world, trust brokerage may be the only path forward.