Higher education is facing a growing disconnect between public perception and the realities of campus life. In this episode of the Changing Higher Ed® podcast, Dr. Drumm McNaughton speaks with Peter Murphy Lewis, CNN political analyst, filmmaker, and director of People Worth Caring About, about how institutions can reclaim their narrative and rebuild trust through authentic human stories.
This conversation is especially relevant for presidents, trustees, and senior leaders navigating public skepticism, political pressure, and communication environments where external voices often define higher education's story.
Some of the Topics Covered
- The forces driving negative public narratives about higher education
- How political rhetoric and social media distort campus realities
- Why families respond more strongly to human stories than to data or institutional claims
- How student and faculty voices build credibility across audiences
- Ways to adapt a single story for parents, prospective students, legislators, and alumni
- The importance of short-form storytelling for modern communication channels
- The CARE framework (Confront, Amplify, Reshape, Evergreen) for building narrative strategy
Real-World Examples Discussed
- How the documentary model helps institutions show their value through lived experience
- Using student and faculty stories to counter assumptions about campus culture
- Why a 45-second authentic clip can strengthen trust more than a polished statement
- How major industries changed public perception through narrative work (e.g., Formula One's "Drive to Survive")
Three Takeaways for Higher Education Leaders
- Talk about the elephant in the room.
- Talk about it through a story — show, don't tell.
- Eat that elephant one bite at a time. You can start tomorrow with your cell phone or an intern. One day at a time. One bite at a time.
Read the transcript: https://changinghighered.com/reclaiming-the-higher-education-narrative/
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