Is Big Tech biased against conservatives? Evidence from search algorithms says no

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Algorithm-based news recommendations on social media and search engines shape the news people see. …

To get a sense of how algorithmic recommendations perform as news intermediaries, we asked actual internet users to complete real-world searches of topics in the news and list the recommendations they got. In other words, we conducted a crowdsourced audit of search results, the full findings of which were recently published in Mass Communication & Society. …

Our results challenge the conventional wisdom that online platforms’ search algorithms push users into filter bubbles through personalization, and that conservative voices, as Republicans often claim, are being intentionally stifled by Big Tech. Instead, the results support concerns about a winner-takes-most paradigm, with a small number of predominantly national content producers — Fox News prominently among them — receiving much of the attention. CONTINUED

Efrat Nechushtai, Rodrigo Zamith & Seth C. Lewis, Columbia Journalism Review

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U.S. Economic Optimism Index Hits 16-Month High

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Americans’ view of the outlook for the U.S. economy still isn’t great, but it’s brighter than it has been in 16 months, the new IBD/TIPP Poll finds.

The overall IBD/TIPP U.S. Economic Optimism Index rose a half-point to 47.4 in April. That puts the index at its highest level since December 2021. Still, the index remained in pessimistic territory, below the 50 neutral level, for a 20th straight month. …

The personal finances subindex rose three-tenths of a point to 55.3, the highest since August 2021, when a roaring bull market was still intact. CONTINUED

Jed Graham, Investor’s Business Daily

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How to rig an election — with deadly, racist consequences

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A committee resolved the disputed presidential vote by agreeing to pull out federal troops who protected newly freed Black citizens across the South. CONTINUED

Tom Hanks & Jeffery Robinson, Washington Post

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Biden Approval Rating Shows Resilience As Financial Stress Rises

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President Joe Biden’s approval rating is holding near its best level in more than a year, though a few cracks in the economic outlook are emerging, the new IBD/TIPP Poll finds. The new IBD/TIPP Poll finds that a steady 45% of Americans age 18 and up approve of how Biden is handling the presidency, and 45% disapprove, leaving flat net-approval rating for the second straight month. …

The IBD/TIPP Presidential Leadership Index rose 1.2 points to 50.3, the highest level since October 2021. Readings above 50 are net positive, while below-50 readings are negative. The Presidential Leadership Index combines survey readings on how American adults feel about Biden’s personal qualities, presidential performance, and leadership attributes. CONTINUED

Jed Graham, Investor’s Business Daily

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CNN Poll: Majority of Americans approve of Trump indictment

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Sixty percent of Americans approve of the indictment of former President Donald Trump, according to a new CNN Poll conducted by SSRS following the news that a New York grand jury voted to charge him in connection with hush money payments made to adult film actress Stormy Daniels. About three-quarters of Americans say politics played at least some role in the decision to indict Trump, including 52% who said it played a major role.

Independents largely line up in support of the indictment – 62% approve of it and 38% disapprove. Democrats are near universal in their support for the indictment (94% approve, including 71% who strongly approve of the indictment), with Republicans less unified in opposition (79% disapprove, with 54% strongly disapproving). CONTINUED

Jennifer Agiesta, CNN

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New Hampshire: Trump leads GOP field with a strong plurality; weak support for Biden on Dem primary ballot

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A new poll conducted by the Saint Anselm College Survey Center (SACSC) at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics (NHIOP) finds President Joe Biden facing weak support for re-election. Although his job approval has improved somewhat since the mid-term elections, he is still underwater at 45%-54%. This translates into a weak primary ballot, with only 34% of those intending to vote in the Democratic presidential primary indicating support for the incumbent. …

Reminiscent of the 2016 cycle, Donald Trump leads with a strong plurality among those intending to vote in the Republican presidential primary as support is fractured among declared and potential opponents. Trump currently leads the field with 42%, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (29%), Governor Chris Sununu (14%), former South Carolina Governor and UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (4%), and recent entrant Vivek Ramaswamy (3%). CONTINUED

Saint Anselm College Survey Center

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