American Cyberscape: Trials and the Path to Trust

by Mari K. Eder

Trust is unraveling across American institutions, affecting not only government but also news organizations, trusted sources of information and, most critically, expertise and values. The impact is not just institutional, the decay also affects individuals, families and shared norms. The very foundations of American civic culture seem increasingly at risk. All the while, technology continues to act as an accelerant, speeding up societal change and challenging our abilities to keep pace while controlling our responses. Uncovering the multivariate sources of these challenges is work that demands rigorous, ongoing investigation. As with any investigation, a solid place to start is a requirement. In American Trials and the Path to Trust, Mari Eder examines the sources of decay in trust and offers solutions to lead us to firmer terrains of shared truth. By grounding the topography of cyberspace and drawing on wide-ranging expertise and experience, both scholarly and practical, American Cyberscape shows pathways to improve outcomes for everyone.

152 pages, Paperback

Published November 21, 2020

About the author

Mari K. Eder, retired U.S. Army Major General, is a renowned speaker and author, and a thought leader on strategic communication and leadership. General Eder has served as Director of Public Affairs at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies and as an adjunct professor and lecturer in communications and public diplomacy at the NATO School and Sweden’s International Training Command. She served in a number of senior positions in the Pentagon, on the Army Staff, as Deputy Chief of Public Affairs and Deputy Chief of the Army Reserve, and with DoD’s Reserve Forces Policy Board. General Eder speaks and writes frequently on communication, ethics, and security topics in universities and for international audiences and consults on communications issues.
When not writing, lecturing, or traveling, she works with rescue groups and fosters rescued Schnauzers.

Reviews

[Military Writers Society of America (MWSA)]

MWSA Review

American Cyberscape: Trials and the Path to Trust by Mari K. Eder is a treatise on the state of disinformation in America today. Referring to the phenomenon as the Information Apocalypse, Eder sets forth a convincing case that our society has devolved into a frightening lack of trust, leaving us at odds with one another. The disinformation leaves Americans distrustful of the government, the media, non-government organizations, and—to a lesser extent—businesses.

After presenting the problems inherent in the lack of trust, Eder outlines steps that can be taken by individuals, as well as leaders to restore trust. She encourages leaders and journalists to be more truthful and more transparent. She challenges individuals to be better versed in distinguishing fact from fiction, educate themselves in the areas of social media and news outlets, and look at issues from both sides politically. Readers are encouraged to fact-check all forms of media, and especially social media, which is rife with misinformation, fake news, innuendo, character assassination, and faulty beliefs. This book should be read by all journalists, leaders, and concerned individuals from both ends of the political spectrum in order to start becoming part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Review by Betsy Beard (March 2021)

[MaryPat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book lays out the current issues of communication, the Information Apocalypse as author, Mari K. Eder describes it. We know from the past few years how communication swirls around with no concern as to validity, facts or even consequences. Social media and technology provide an anonymous battle ground that can feed into the masses who generate false information valuable to their own motives and groups. The author is a retired Army major general with a background in public affairs and communication and strategy. She walks us through the scourge of disinformation that whirls around us daily and formulates the narrative that others use to frighten or direct the masses to accomplish misguided goals. General Eder’s book teaches how to identify these sources and the missteps they cause. We are definitely in the midst of an information apocalypse and we need to learn how to identify and redirect what could push us over the brink of disaster. Great book, read it and learn how you can reshape and direct the narrative