Every government is a machine, and every machine has its tinkerers — and its jams. From the start, machines have driven American democracy and, just as often, crippled it. The printing press, the telegraph, the radio, the television, the mainframe, cable TV, the internet: Each had wild-eyed boosters who promised […] Read more »
Many Facebook users don’t understand how the site’s news feed works
A sizable majority of U.S. adults use Facebook and most of its users get news on the site. But a new Pew Research Center survey finds that notable shares of Facebook users ages 18 and older lack a clear understanding of how the site’s news feed operates, feel ordinary users […] Read more »
Computer, Restaurant Sectors Still Top-Rated U.S. Industries
Of 25 industry sectors in the U.S., the computer and restaurant industries roughly tie for being the most well-regarded by the American public. CONT. Lydia Saad, Gallup Read more »
The digital campaign: In 2018, the rules have changed
Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum didn’t seem to have a prayer of winning last week’s Democratic gubernatorial primary in Florida. Gillum’s opponents spent nearly 15 times as much as he did, and late polls had him trailing badly. But Gillum spent much of his campaign war chest on the hottest outreach […] Read more »
Information overload: When everything is everywhere, how do we understand what’s important?
Critics of democracy have long lamented that people know too little about politics, but today we have more news and information available to us than at any moment in history. I, for instance, start and end my days with Twitter: The ongoing stream of information it provides about the world […] Read more »
How Online Trolls Divide Americans IRL
We know that trolls on social media are trying to sow discord on contentious subjects like race, guns and abortion, but how do they do it? Here is a visual guide to their strategy. New York Times Read more »