Marty's Notebook
Cleaning Up the Civic Pollution of Disconnection.
Dear Friends and Partners,
There is a powerful “pollution” that is corroding our shared social fabric, and quietly undermining the power of all our movements: social disconnection. The very systems meant to connect us are now driving us apart. Platforms that reward outrage over dialogue. Shrinking civic spaces. Disinformation spreads faster than truth. It’s not just a trend – it’s pollution. Civic pollution.
These problems are toxic byproducts of our digital and technical industries, titans eroding the trust, shared purpose, and very collaboration capacities we need to take on complex challenges like climate, justice, and public health.
At Netcentric Campaigns, we’ve spent two decades helping people organize in networks – building the human infrastructure that makes real change possible. Our experience provides us with a perspective and a lens to see how networks are pulled apart. We see that happening at a scale across the country and even in other countries. It is a big problem, but we have hope. And we know how to rebuild. We know that connection is a renewable resource and it is restorative at the individual and social scales.
As we approach America’s 250th anniversary, we’re launching a new effort to name this crisis and confront it head-on. Over the coming months, we’ll share tools, stories, and questions. We’ll listen to organizers on the frontlines of fragmentation – and invite you into a campaign to weave stronger networks and civic ties.
Let’s repair what’s been broken. Let’s organize not just for change, but for connection. I hope you’ll join us.
Peace,
Marty Kearns
Deep Dive Insight
Civic Pollution Is Undermining us. We’re Fighting Back.
Social disconnection isn’t just a feeling – it’s a crisis. Our latest blog post names it for what it is: civic pollution.
Like toxic air or dirty water, fragmentation is eroding trust, distorting dialogue, and weakening our ability to act collectively.
This post marks the beginning of a long-term effort. We’re launching a national network audit to better understand where disconnection is most severe – and how networks can begin to repair the damage.
Much more to come...
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Featured Resource
Clean Up Audio on the Fly — No Studio Needed
We’ve all been there: a powerful field interview disrupted by background noise, music, or a ringing phone.
We recently tested a new AI tool, LALAL.AI to clean up one such recording captured under less-than-ideal conditions – and the difference was remarkable.
If you’re sharing stories, collecting oral histories, or producing media from community events, this is a low-lift way to boost clarity and elevate the quality of your audio.
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Join Our Campaign Against Civic Pollution
Social disconnection is polluting civic life – and it’s weakening our ability to organize, advocate, and act together.
That’s why Netcentric Campaigns is launching a first step in addressing this growing crisis: a national network audit to map where disconnection is deepest – and how networks can become tools for repair.
In the coming months, we’ll be sharing stories, tools, and conversations designed to inspire action and reconnection. This campaign isn’t just about data – it’s about renewing the trust, dialogue, and shared purpose our democracy depends on.
Join us in mapping a more connected future. And stay tuned for opportunities to participate.
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Answers from the Field
Addressing pressing questions from our networks
Q:
“How can advocates build collaboration in divided communities?”
A:
Start by rebuilding trust – and create spaces where people can show up as humans, not headlines.
Disconnection is the enemy of collaboration. But even in divided communities, bridges can be built. Start small: map your network, connect one-on-one, and foster inclusive communication.
We’ve seen this work. In one rural campaign, organizers brought neighbors together around a water contamination issue – not by pushing an agenda, but by creating open forums for people to speak, listen, and find common ground.
Netcentric Campaigns’ Seven Elements of Effective Networks offer a roadmap: build strong ties, foster shared language, and keep feedback loops alive.
Connection is a strategy. Use it.
Emerging Trends and Critical Insights
Trust Under Siege:
A Global Civic Crisis
According to the 2024 OECD Survey on Drivers of Trust, just 39% of people across 30 countries report high or moderately high trust in their national government – while 44% express little or no trust.
The survey highlights growing gaps in trust, particularly among women and people with lower education levels. One of the strongest predictors? Whether people feel heard. 69% of those who felt they had a say in government trusted it, compared to just 22% who didn’t.
This breakdown of civic connection – what we call civic pollution – weakens the shared trust and voice that advocacy efforts rely on.
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Updates from Our Partner Networks
Driving Change in Communities Around the World
Halt the Harm Network Update: Networked Pressure Delivers Results in Colorado
Last month, we shared the powerful communications strategy behind a new report exposing widespread noncompliance with Colorado’s fracking chemical disclosure law – and how Halt the Harm’s networked outreach helped push it into the spotlight. As a follow-up: it worked.
In the weeks after the report’s release, state officials received more than 600 new well disclosures, nearly doubling the total submitted in the previous 17 months. Over 90% of operators are now disclosing fracking chemicals – a dramatic shift driven by public pressure and coordination across the network.
This underscores what we know to be true: when the network becomes a choir, the results are amplified.
Read the Update from Fractracker Alliance
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See the Moment? Take the Opportunity.
When teams working on Ghana’s National Household Registry began outreach in rural areas, the WASH Network saw a window – and jumped through it.
Rather than wait for their own event, local WASH advocates integrated directly into the GNHR effort, piggybacking on an existing public campaign to build connections, share resources, and bring 200+ new people into the WASH communications grid.
It’s a great reminder: in networked work, sometimes the most powerful results come from recognizing the moment – and moving fast. Community gatherings already underway became a platform for deeper engagement, wider reach, and new links between residents, services, and the WASH system.
Learn More About the WashDesk Program
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This is just the beginning...
In the months ahead, we’ll share new stories, tools, and ways to reconnect across a fragmented civic landscape.
If this resonates, reply and tell us how social disconnection shows up in your work – or share this with a colleague, partner, or friend who should be part of the conversation.
Let’s grow this network together.
✌️