… If Facebook’s leaders were willing to level with us, they would stop defending themselves by appealing to lofty values like free speech. They would focus instead on more practical realities: Facebook is incapable of vetting political ads effectively and consistently at the global scale. … We should know better […] Read more »
How Trump Reshaped the Presidency in Over 11,000 Tweets
… When Mr. Trump entered office, Twitter was a political tool that had helped get him elected and a digital howitzer that he relished firing. In the years since, he has fully integrated Twitter into the very fabric of his administration, reshaping the nature of the presidency and presidential power. […] Read more »
National Politics on Twitter: Small Share of U.S. Adults Produce Majority of Tweets
The social media platform Twitter plays a prominent role in how politicians, media outlets and advocacy organizations promote their agendas and engage with political issues. Although these entities represent a highly visible portion of the political Twitter ecosystem, less is known about the political tweeting habits of the 22% of […] Read more »
Mimicking Local News, a Network of Michigan Websites Pushes Politics
Despite working for Michigan State University outside Lansing, Mich., Matt Grossmann had never heard of The Lansing Sun until he stumbled across the website on his Facebook news feed earlier this month. So when he clicked on an advertised article about Michigan’s roads spending that criticized the state’s Democratic governor, […] Read more »
Whistleblower Explains How Cambridge Analytica Helped Fuel U.S. ‘Insurgency’
When Christopher Wylie first began working for the British behavioral research company SCL Group, the company used data drawn from a number of sources as a means of potentially altering outcomes for their, sometimes military, clients. But over time, Wylie’s mission — and that of the company — expanded. Conservative […] Read more »
Americans Are Wary of the Role Social Media Sites Play in Delivering the News
As heated debate continues over how social media sites can improve the quality of news on their platforms while enforcing rules fairly, most Americans are pessimistic about these efforts and are highly concerned about several issues when it comes to social media and news. Majorities say that social media companies […] Read more »