Veteran media consultant and author Phil Cooke equips church and nonprofit leaders with powerful storytelling strategies to build trust and regain credibility in an era of cultural distrust.
Nashville, TN (January 15, 2026) — In an era where leadership scandals, political polarization and AI-generated content is “intensifying a ‘collapse’ of trust online,”1 media executive Phil Cooke is helping church and nonprofit leaders navigate a skeptical culture with strategic storytelling. Calling for more transparency and less “polish,” Cooke keys in on storytelling techniques that help ministries build trust and regain credibility. A speaker at the NRB International Christian Media Convention, February 17-20, 2026, he is available for interviews.
“We’re living in a time when people don’t automatically trust institutions—especially churches and ministries,” states Cooke. “Today, being skeptical is the default.”
An award-winning producer and crisis management consultant with a client list that includes major Christian organizations like Voice of the Martyrs, Museum of the Bible and The Salvation Army, Cooke encourages nonprofits to adopt an updated approach in sharing their stories, recognizing that traditional tactics will not break through a distrustful society. For those in the throes of a crisis, Cooke emphasizes clarity, integrity, and action.
“The ones that are brave enough to tell honest stories—real names, real struggles, real outcomes —are the ones that will resonate in today’s culture of skeptics.” He adds, “In a culture desperate for something real, that kind of story still has power.”
To schedule an interview with Phil Cooke at NRB 2026, contact laura@cookemediagroup.com. Attend Phil’s sessions at NRB listed here. Find out more about Phil Cooke at PhilCooke.com.
1Yang, Angela. “AI Is Intensifying a “Collapse” of Trust Online, Experts Say.” NBC News, 9 Jan. 2026, www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/experts-warn-collapse-trust-online-ai-deepfakes-venezuela-rcna252472.
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About Phil Cooke – Media Producer / Writer / Speaker / Coach
Phil Cooke, PhD, is co-founder and CEO of Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles and the nonprofit The Influence Lab. An accomplished author and respected media expert, he has produced media programming and commercials in nearly seventy countries with a client list that includes Hollywood studios, major nonprofit organizations, and many of the world’s most respected churches and ministries. With decades of experience in crisis management consulting
Press Contact: Laura Woodworth
Cooke Media Group
M: (310) 993-8828
laura@cookemediagroup.com