Tag: Trust

Staying Active During The Holidays And Us & Them Reflects On 2023, This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, the holidays are an important time for everyone to rest and relax. But as Chris Schulz reports, students off from school can still benefit from mental and physical activities.

On this West Virginia Morning, the holidays are an important time for everyone to rest and relax. But as Chris Schulz reports, students off from school can still benefit from mental and physical activities.

Also, in this show, as we come to the end of the year, Us & Them host Trey Kay has been reflecting on 2023, and a theme that’s been consistent. Trust, or more importantly, our lack of trust in each other and our institutions. In the latest episode, we explore how that reality could shape the year to come and its social and political landscape. Here’s an excerpt. 

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from CAMC and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Bill Lynch, Briana Heaney, Caroline MacGregor, Chris Schulz, Curtis Tate, Emily Rice, Eric Douglas, Liz McCormick, and Randy Yohe.

Eric Douglas is our news director. Caroline MacGregor is our assistant news director and producer.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Trust In Science And Making Square Dancing More Inclusive On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, calling a square dance is a skill that’s been handed down for generations, but some of the language used can be a little old-fashioned. A growing number of callers are updating that language to be more inclusive.

On this West Virginia Morning, calling a square dance is a skill that’s been handed down for generations, but some of the language used can be a little old-fashioned. A growing number of callers are updating that language to be more inclusive. Folkways Reporter Lydia Warren has the story.

Also, in this show, in a new episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay looks at our erosion in trust in science. There was a time when scientific advances were heralded – they saved lives, they told us more about our world. The Pew Research Center shows that Americans’ trust in scientists declined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, some say scientists are not always worthy of our trust.

At a recent event at Marshall University, Kay’s guests talked about our plethora of information and its impact on our level of trust. In this excerpt, we hear in this order, from Dr. Adam Franks and Prof. Habiba Chirchir from Marshall, and Prof. Jonathon Zimmerman from the University of Pennsylvania.

To hear the rest of the episode, tune in on Thanksgiving at 8 p.m. on West Virginia Public Broadcasting. There will be an encore broadcast on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 3 p.m.

Us & Them is supported by the West Virginia Humanities Council, the CRC Foundation and the Daywood Foundation.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Liz McCormick produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Us & Them: Diminished Trust In Science

Science and research can lead to important breakthroughs, but in a divided America, not everyone trusts the results. In this Us & Them, host Trey Kay speaks with three expert guests before an audience full of curious people at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia and asks: How shaken is our confidence in scientists and the scientific process?

Polls and surveys report our confidence is eroding and that we’ve lost trust in one another and in some of our most essential institutions. 

As a followup to an Us & Them event in September at West Virginia University (WVU) on trust in the media, host Trey Kay has a new conversation focused on our trust in science. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to present examples of our differing confidence in science and medicine, but there are other flash points. 

We continue the abortion debate with the central question of when life begins. A few decades ago, evolution was in the spotlight with divisions over the origins of the universe, and of our own species. Now, climate change clearly illustrates our varying understanding about how the world is changing. All of those topics place a spotlight on our confidence in science.

There was a time when scientific advances were heralded – they saved lives, they told us more about our world. But now, some see scientists as villains who are not always worthy of our trust. 

Have we simply lost interest in scientists or in the scientific process? 

Join us for a new Us & Them from a recent live event on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. 

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the Daywood Foundation and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.

Us & Them host Trey Kay leads a discussion about the erosion of public trust in science at Marshall University. His guests were Jonathan Zimmerman, University of Pennsylvania’s education historian and author of “Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schools”; Habiba Chichir, Marshall University’s biological anthropologist; and Dr. Adam Franks, MD, associate residency director for Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. The event was co-sponsored by Marshall University’s John Deaver Drinko Academy, the West Virginia Humanities Council and West Virginia Public Broadcasting, the broadcasting home of Us & Them.

Earlier this fall, Kay and his team hosted a “Diminished Trust” event at West Virginia University that focused on waning public trust in journalism and the news media. Kay says, “Trust is in short supply in America these days. Across the board and across the political spectrum people seem to lack trust in our government… in many of our agencies and organizations – even in each other. That’s why our Us & Them team is staging these conversations to encourage citizens to consider how long our society can sustain this erosion of trust.”

Credit: Julie Blackwood
A diverse group of students, faculty and community members came to Marshall University’s Drinko Library Atrium to join a live recording of West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Us & Them.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
Habiba Chirchir is a biological anthropologist and anatomist at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Her research focuses on understanding the relationship between changes in skeletal anatomy and behavior by investigating trabecular and cortical bones. She conducts comparative analyses of anatomical features in fossil human ancestors, modern humans, other primates and non-primate animals including dogs and big cats using CT imaging. Chirchir earned a BA from the University of Nairobi, an MA from New York University, and a PhD from George Washington University. Chirchir is a research associate at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
Dr. Adam M. Franks is a family medicine physician at Marshall Health, and a professor and vice chair of the department of family and community health at Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Franks’ practice provides full-spectrum care for children and adults, including obstetric and gynecologic care. His research areas include COVID-19 protocols, opioid monitoring protocols and blood borne pathogen exposure monitoring protocol adherence.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
Jonathan Zimmerman is professor of History of Education and the Berkowitz professor in Education at the University of Pennsylvania. A former Peace Corps volunteer and high school teacher, Zimmerman is the author of “Whose America? Culture Wars in the Public Schools” (University of Chicago Press, 2nd ed.) and eight other books. Zimmerman is also a columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer and a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, the New York Review of Books and other popular publications. Zimmerman taught for 20 years at New York University, where he received its Distinguished Teaching Award in 2008.

Credit: Julie Blackwood

Photo gallery: Members of the audience took advantage of a Q&A session to ask the guests a number of thoughtful questions. Credit: Julie Blackwood

Us & Them: Potluck & Politics

For the past four years, Trey Kay has gathered a group of West Virginians — four from the political right and four from the left — for the “Us & Them Dinner Party.” The discussion at this year’s gathering focused on former President Trump’s indictments, abortion laws, diminishing public trust and more.

In a new podcast episode of Us & Them, host Trey Kay invites his dinner party guests to gather once again for some fresh conversation across the divide.

Kay’s friends, old and new, all share a favorite dish at the potluck meal while offering honest and sometimes raw accounts of how the social and political issues of the day affect them. Kay guides the conversation through a range of potential minefields – including the indictments of former President Trump, trust in elections, allegations of government corruption and our nation’s changing abortion laws. 

The show highlights heartfelt disagreements while acknowledging moments of common ground.

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, the Daywood Foundation and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.

For the past four years, Trey Kay has hosted an Us & Them Dinner Party. The first few gatherings were virtual due to COVID, but for the past two years, the group has met face-to-face to discuss some of the tough issues of our time. This year’s party included Terri Triplett DeLauder (on the upper right gesturing with her hands), Marsha Albert, Jay Gould, Elliot G. Hicks, Kay, David Pendrake, Joe Solomon, Karen Cross and Frank Annie.

Credit: Kyle Vass
The Us & Them Dinner Party group this year included two city council members, Joe Solomon (green baseball cap) and Frank Annie (in the plaid shirt on the right), who represent different political parties but campaigned together saying they would work together to “get things done.”

Credit: Kyle Vass
Us & Them host Trey Kay pointed out some of the dessert options on the table for the guests at his dinner party.

Credit: Kyle Vass

Kenova Pumpkins And Diminished Trust In Media On This West Virginia Morning

On this West Virginia Morning, thousands of visitors from all over the region visit the small town of Kenova each year to see more than 3,000 pumpkins aglow for the Halloween weekend. Briana Heaney has the story.

On this West Virginia Morning, thousands of visitors from all over the region visit the small town of Kenova each year to see more than 3,000 pumpkins aglow for the Halloween weekend. Briana Heaney has the story.

Also, in this show, we are struggling with trust in America. Some people distrust our institutions and each other. Recently, Us & Them host Trey Kay partnered with West Virginia University (WVU) for a conversation on diminished trust in the media. His guests were Raney Aronson-Rath editor in chief of the PBS investigative journalism series Frontline – and June Cross, professor of journalism from Columbia University. We listen to an excerpt from that conversation.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from Shepherd University.

Caroline MacGregor produced this episode.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 a.m. on WVPB Radio or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning

Us & Them: Diminished Trust In The News Media

We used to trust the news, but now some polls and surveys show that our confidence has eroded. Recently, the Us & Them team partnered with West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media for a conversation on diminished trust in journalism. Host Trey Kay spoke with Raney Aronson-Rath, editor-in-chief and executive producer of PBS Frontline, and June Cross, director of the documentary journalism program at the Columbia Journalism School.

Trust is in short supply in America as social and political divides continue to erode our faith in our democratic republic. National surveys and polls show that people distrust each other as well as our government and institutions. 

Us & Them Host Trey Kay recently partnered with West Virginia University’s Reed College of Media for a conversation focusing on diminished trust in journalism and the news media. He spoke with special guests Raney Aronson-Rath, editor-in-chief and executive producer of PBS Frontline, and June Cross, director of the documentary journalism program at the Columbia Journalism School.

The panelists agreed that the rise of social media and the hollowing out of local news have been part of the problem. The event included thought-provoking audience questions and comments about who and what they trust. This episode of Us & Them draws from that live event as we figure out where to turn for reliable information.

This episode of Us & Them is presented with support from the West Virginia Humanities Council, and the CRC Foundation.

Subscribe to Us & Them on Apple Podcasts, NPR One, RadioPublic, Spotify, Stitcher and beyond.

Professor June Cross (left) of the Columbia Journalism School and Raney Aronson-Rath (center) editor-in-chief and executive producer of PBS Frontline, speak with Us & Them Host Trey Kay at West Virginia University.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
Raney Aronson-Rath is editor-in-chief and executive producer of Frontline, PBS’s flagship investigative journalism series. She is a leading voice on the future of journalism. Under her leadership, Frontline has won every major award in broadcast journalism.

Courtesy Photo
June Cross is Columbia University’s Fred W. Friendly, professor of media and society, and director of the Documentary Journalism Program. Her work has been awarded with the highest honors in broadcast journalism, and her career has highlighted stories of the dispossessed and the intersection of race, politics, and public health. She joined the Columbia Journalism School in 2001, and she is now a tenured faculty member.

Courtesy Photo
“We’ve heard from many people who say that the erosion in public trust in America is an existential threat to our democratic republic. We believe this is the issue of our times.” — Trey Kay, Us & Them host

Credit: Julie Blackwood
An audience of students, faculty and community members from throughout West Virginia came to West Virginia University’s Reynolds Hall to listen to a discussion about diminished trust in the news media and journalism.

Credit: Julie Blackwood
I’m 18 and journalism has been so skewed for my whole life. My political consciousness kind of was there during the Trump presidency, and we know that since then the media has been so biased… Have you noticed any trends of apathy or ignorance among teenagers in my generation towards politics and current events? Because we just don’t care what the media has to say, because it’s been so bad.” — West Virginia University student

Credit: Julie Blackwood
“I want to talk to you about the role and impact of technology and journalism. Should journalists be rushing towards new technologies? And what about also the impact of AI [Artificial Intelligence]? Raney, you said that you know journalists are trained to be able to distinguish reality from fake. What if we are soon or if not already in that time where we genuinely cannot tell what is true and what is not?” — Prof. Robert Quick, director of Marshall University’s W. Page Pitt School of Journalism & Mass Communications

Credit: Julie Blackwood
“My trust in West Virginia media was diminished after the West Virginia Broadcasters Association and West Virginia media, including Public Broadcasting, changed the debate rules to exclude third party candidates. How do we restore our faith that we can return to a structure where outside voices and not just the two corporate parties have a seat at the table?” — Joel Brown, West Virginia University staff

Credit: Julie Blackwood
“There is something to be said that we’ve splintered and that we’re getting news from TikTok instead of just the CBS Nightly News. That it’s not just Walter Cronkite, it’s a variety of voices that are doing this online. But at the same time, you both also mentioned that, that part of this splintering and this distrust resulted as a [democratizing of] the media ecosystem since more and more people have entered. And so I’m wondering, is part of restoring faith in the media, actually restoring some sense of gatekeepers?” — Amy Eddings, reporter from Ideastream Public Media in Cleveland, OH

Credit: Julie Blackwood
“When do the individuals that are beholden to media, have a love for media and actually care about the reputation of media, begin to step in and say, ‘For the integrity of my profession, I need to show some authenticity and fix how we as a profession are seen, not the problems of the world per se, but how we conduct ourselves in this profession?’” — Meshea Poore, vice president for West Virginia University’s Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Credit: Julie Blackwood
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