Is social media appropriating credibility once reserved for professionals?

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Is modern media accessibility enabling social media elites to appropriate credibility once reserved for professionals trained and credentialed by formal institutions? And if so, what does it take or mean to be a professional or an expert in fields like journalism, psychology, religion, and politics in our cultural landscape today? And what impact is that having on our cultural institutions? In an age where anyone can build an audience online, social media personalities often command as much—or more—public trust and attention than journalists, professors, clergy, psychologists, or other traditionally credentialed professionals. Has modern media made expertise more accessible and democratic, or has it blurred the line between genuine expertise and popularity? What does it mean to be a professional in fields like journalism, psychology, religion, or politics today? And how is this shift reshaping the institutions that have historically been responsible for informing, educating, and guiding society? Join us as we explore these questions through three influential books: \- Amusing Ourselves to Death\, by Neil Postman \- The Revolt of the Public\, by Martin Gurri \- The Death of Expertise\, by Tom Nichols You do not need to read these books, but you may want to take a look at one or more of these videos ahead of time: Summary of Amusing Ourselves to Death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMTIzCPovPI Neil Postman on the Modern Media Crisis in 1988: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ApPkTvQ4QM Martin Gurri on The Revolt of the Public: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhSaPi_zAyY Tom Nichols on The Death of Expertise: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRZYTaCPX8s An example of one expert responding to what he sees as amateurs intruding where they don't belong: A double board certified cardiothoracic surgeon explaining why we should not listen to unqualified people putting out videos on medical topics: https://doc4heart.substack.com/p/ask-a-cardiothoracic-surgeon-the-1d8 https://doc4heart.substack.com/p/listen-to-a-cardiothoracic-surgeon I hope you'll join us Thursday, August 20, for what should be a fascinating discussion. Bill