A Question of Trust The BBC Reith Lectures 2002

Onora O'Neill's timely new work highlights a great paradox: in order to inspire trust, we, the public, require more accountability, more transparency. But the more we learn about our financial institutions, our politicians, our medical practitioners, our clergy, and many other people who have a direct effect on our lives, the less willing we are to trust them. Their word is doubted, their motives questioned. Whether real or perceived, this crisis of trust has a debilitating impact on society and democracy. Can trust be restored by making people and institutions more accountable in a modern democracy? Or do complex systems of accountability and control damage trust? O'nora O' Neill challenges current approaches to accountability, investigates sources of deception in our society and re-examines questions of press freedom. |L O'Neill presented these ideas this spring as a part of the BBC Radio 4's reith Lectures. Established in 1948, the Reith Lectures are presented to advance public understanding about significant issues of contemporary interest. Previous lecturers include Bertrand Russel, Robert Oppenheimer, and J.K. Galbraith.