Rebuilding epistemic authority: strategic transparency and digital ethnography in policing and intelligence

Abstract

In the post-truth era, policing and intelligence agencies face a dual crisis: navigating complex security threats while confronting a collapse in public trust and epistemic authority. When truth itself becomes contested, how can institutions tasked with safeguarding society maintain legitimacy and authority? This commentary argues that restoring legitimacy requires more than technological fixes or piecemeal procedural reforms. It demands a structural transformation in how institutions communicate, engage and sustain truth within democratic societies, where trust and truth are deeply co-dependent. Drawing on examples from the United States, Canada, Australia and the UK, the article introduces strategic transparency as a principled framework for balancing operational secrecy with public accountability. Furthermore, by developing new competencies such as digital ethnography, agencies can better understand and counter disinformation while reinforcing public trust. In an era where facts are contested and trust is fragile, strategic transparency offers a paradigm shift for rebuilding epistemic resilience and democratic legitimacy–ensuring that institutions not only defend national security but also serve as credible stewards of truth in a contested information environment.