Maryland Heights proved showing up in person can do what social media can’t—build trust, understanding, and consent

This story is part of Beyond the Scroll: Conversations that Count—a Good Government Files series about what happens when local governments move beyond social-first strategies to rebuild trust.

Beyond the Scroll, Part 3: How the performance of online life is eroding authenticity, trust, and connection in local government—and why leaders need to bring it back to real life.

The decline of deep reading isn’t just changing how we consume information—it’s changing how we think, reason, and govern.

A society that can’t read deeply can’t govern wisely. When emotion replaces analysis and images crowd out ideas, democracy itself becomes brittle.

First in a series. Social media and screen culture are quietly warping our society—not in theory, but in practice. These shifts cut right to the heart of governing. Trust in local government is slipping, and if we keep leaning on “social-first” communication, we risk accelerating the problem. We need to fight like hell to buck that trend—and that means building something deeper, steadier, and more human.

Emergency Management expert JJ Jones explains why tabletop exercises matter—and how they uncover hidden strengths before disaster strikes

What Charlie Kirk’s murder teaches us about toxic platforms, constructive disagreement, and why government responses matter

Sharon Logan recounts the 2010 murder-suicide involving the city's mayor and daughter—and the lessons it left for every communicator. The latest in the GGF series on crisis communications.

What volunteering in the Joint Information Center taught me about preparation, partnerships, and staying steady under pressure. The latest installment in the GGF series on crisis communications.

From floodwaters to false alarms, the complex challenge of emergency notifications. Second in a series on crisis communications.

Breaking bread, breaking silos: Buda’s playbook for employee retention

The first in a GGF series on crisis communications. We start with the murder of a University Park Fire Department Captain

In a community wary of top-down planning, Amarillo won support by going grassroots, with precision, persistence, and plain language