The article argues that a crisis of trustworthiness has led to a breakdown in public trust across various institutions. The author points to specific examples from the COVID-19 pandemic, such as cities in California restricting skate parks and individuals snitching on neighbors for violating social distancing rules. In March 2020, Americans trusted their institutions and followed instructions to close businesses and schools, but that trust was ultimately squandered by the actions of elected leaders, public health officials, and other elites. The article suggests that this loss of trust has contributed to contentious debates over data centers and Flock surveillance cameras.
Written by the local model on 2026-08-25,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Los Angeles-based news outlet The Free Press has reprinted an essay by Erick Erickson that explores the erosion of public trust in institutions. This crisis of trustworthiness is not just limited to government and media, but also affects sectors like education and medicine. Erickson's analysis suggests that this breakdown of trust began during the pandemic, which led to the misuse of technology such as data centers and Flock surveillance cameras. The essay also mentions a specific incident in April 2020 where San Clemente, California dumped 37 tons of sand into a skate park. This event is seen by Erickson as an example of how institutions have squandered public trust.
Written for “Data Center Security Risks” on 2026-08-31,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score -0.60 for article 2298 (high confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-08-27
So much of what we do at The Free Press is try to make sense of a world where trust is broken.
asserted
trust → try → world
What many see as a crisis of trust we think is, first and foremost, a crisis of trustworthiness.
asserted
we → see → trustworthiness
From government and the media to education and medicine, institutions that fought hard to earn the public’s trust have squandered it.
asserted
that → fight → it
That change is arguably the story of our time, and once you understand it, you see it everywhere—including in two of the most contentious debates of this moment: over data centers and Flock surveillance cameras.
asserted
you → understand → centers
We’ve covered both of these fights here at The Free Press.
asserted
We → cover → Press
At root, they get at something much deeper than the technology itself.
asserted
they → get → technology
What’s really at stake is whether trust, once spent, can be earned back at all.
asserted
trust → ’ → stake
That’s why, when we read Erick Erickson’s essay tracing this breakdown back to the pandemic, we decided to reprint it in our pages.
asserted
we → ’ → pages
His analysis is unsparing in identifying who’s responsible on both sides of the aisle, and clear-eyed about what it will take to win the public back.
asserted
it → identify → public
We are pleased to bring it to you today.
asserted
We → please → you
In April of 2020, San Clemente, California, dumped 37 tons of sand into a skate park to keep teenagers out of it.
asserted
Clemente → dump → it
Other California cities followed suit.
asserted
cities → follow → suit
Up the coast, sheriff’s deputies arrested a man for paddleboarding by himself in the Pacific Ocean.
asserted
deputies → arrest → Ocean
Cities unbolted basketball rims.
asserted
Cities → unbolt → rims
The mayor of Los Angeles told people that “snitches get rewards” and, God help us, people snitched, calling the tip lines on the neighbors whose grandkids came over.
asserted
grandkids → tell → neighbors
Months later, Gavin Newsom violated his own Covid-19 protocols and enjoyed a dinner at The French Laundry.
asserted
Newsom → violate → Laundry
The sand, the arrest, the missing basketball rims, the rewarded snitches, and the elite hypocrisy explain a lot about where we are as a nation, including things that look like they have nothing to do with Covid, like data centers and Flock cameras.
asserted
they → reward → centers
In March 2020, Americans did as they were told.
asserted
they → do → March
People closed businesses, local governments closed schools, and families canceled funerals.
asserted
families → close → funerals
They waited for instructions from their elected leaders and public health officials because those officials said we needed two weeks to stop the spread.
asserted
we → wait → spread
People generally trusted their institutions.
asserted
People → trust → institutions
Civic trust is a limited resource in a free nation.
asserted
trust → limit → nation
The press, politicians, bureaucrats, experts, and elite violated that trust until it was gone.
asserted
it → violate → trust
