How to Fix It with John Avlon S2 Ep48: Patrick Radden Keefe: Trump Broke Journalism’s Laws of Physics | How to Fix It
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Nov 2, 2025 Investigative journalist Patrick Radden Keefe, known for his compelling narratives in works like 'Say Nothing,' explores the lessons from Northern Ireland’s Troubles and their resonance in today's polarized America. He discusses the role of radical voices and the impact of state actions on conflict escalation. Keefe emphasizes the importance of rigorous fact-checking against misinformation and critiques the pitfalls of access-driven journalism. He also touches on the need for media literacy among parents and hints at his upcoming book, 'London Falling.'
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How Segregation Sparks Sudden Violence
- Northern Ireland's Troubles show how a cold, managed segregation can suddenly erupt into widespread violence.
- Mutual escalation between protesters, police, and armed groups can transform grievances into active conflict within years.
Escalation Becomes Self-Reinforcing
- Escalation often mixes sectarian violence, political aims, and state heavy-handedness into a self-reinforcing cycle.
- Tactics like tear gas can perversely unify disparate groups against the state and deepen radicalization.
Social Media Rewrote Shared Reality
- Social media fragments reality into algorithmic echo chambers that create competing facts for different publics.
- Patrick Radden Keefe argues this technological shift enabled modern political movements to bypass shared factual grounding.
