Will we find the way out of our "bespoke realities" in 2025?

As a Communications Director, I have spent significant time over these past months reading and researching about the drivers and consequences of the increasing fragmentation and polarization of audiences and public opinions. The more I read, the clearer it becomes: we are not just dealing with a shift in media consumption—we are witnessing a transformation in how reality itself is perceived.?

Let me share a startling comparison:?

When the Watergate scandal hit the news in 1972, 90% of Americans followed the identical ritual of watching the news every evening across only three TV channels. Polls showed that while there was an initial discrepancy between Republican and Democrats right after the scandal broke, opinions had converged a couple of months later into a shared view.?

Fast forward to a different world: long after cable TV overtook broadcast TV in the ‘90s and brought over 200 channels to American audiences by 2002. Social media then entered the scene, and increasingly became one of the mainstream ways to consume information.??

Last year’s polls surveying U.S. public opinions over their perception of the 2020 U.S. Elections showed the same discrepancy in views than the first polls taken right after the attack on Capitol Hill. Almost four years later, no realignment had happened around a “shared reality”.?

The rise of “Bespoke realities”?

The fragmented media landscape—and the fact that polarization itself has become embedded in the business model of information production and promotion—have created the perfect conditions for the emergence of "bespoke realities". Each of us remains, more or less consciously, in our own “information bubbles” where we no longer learn to adjust our beliefs to reality.?

These two examples, drawn from a recent speech by @Lawrence Lessig, Law and Leadership Professor at Harvard University, illustrate how deep and entrenched these “bespoke realities” have become—and how actively they undermine the need for shared views and for consensus-building, which are fundamental to healthy democracies. And the supposedly infinite adaptation and personalization potential offered by AI technologies for both advertising and content production could end the hope that seriously researched and fact-based information can bring people together and restore common ground.?

The role of private sector in a fragmented information landscape?

I recently had the privilege of participating in a panel discussion at Médias en Seine , alongside Corinne Mrejen , Gautier PICQUET and Benjamin Perret , moderated by David Barroux .??

Our debate centered around a very interesting question: “What responsibility do advertisers hold in this evolving landscape?”.?

Here are a couple of convictions I shared with the audience:?

• Private sector organizations have learned that they can no longer hope to remain in the shadows of public debate. Why? Because they rank among the most trusted institutions, ranking higher than political parties or governments and because they are seen as part of the solution to many pressing issues by their different stakeholders.?

• Expectations toward the private sector vary greatly, and are conveyed through an increasingly complex and evolving network of communication channels and habits.?

• Building trust in this environment through communications means being able not only to leverage those different channels with strong expertise and impact, but also keeping a consistent message aligned with the company’s DNA and culture. And I very much agree with Benjamin Perret ’s wise words: we also need to know when to remain silent!?

Shaping a more fact-based future?

This complex environment is what makes our job as communicators even more strategic and fascinating!?And if we want to continue developing trusted relationships with our audiences we will need to advocate for and support quality information, help prevent disinformation, and foster safe public debates where bespoke realities can hopefully evolve into fact-based shared realities.?

I can only recommend these two impactful recent keynotes if you’re interested in learning more:?

• Lawrence Lessig 's TedX keynote “How AI could threaten democracy”, June 2024?

• Ian Bremmer 's address to the 2024 graduates of Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs, May 2024

The way we communicate shapes public trust. In a world where information is everywhere, the stories we tell and the messages we share matter. As #communicators, we have a role to play in helping society navigate this reality!?