Articles and Columns for April 2022 Web Guide for the New Economy 2022 – Accurate and actionable data on the economy is critical to many aspects of our research and scholarship. This guide by research expert Marcus P. Zillman provides researchers with links to information on a range of sources focused on new economy data and… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Social Media
Meet the Reddit ‘Aunties’ covertly helping people get abortions
The Washington Post: “In the hours since a leaked draft opinion signaled the Supreme Court is likely to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark law legalizing abortion nationwide, thousands of people have flocked to a Reddit community called the Auntie Network, a pseudo-underground gathering space aimed to facilitate abortions in an age of diminishing access.… Continue Reading
2022 World Changing Ideas Awards
“Every year, Fast Company’s World-Changing Ideas Awards honor the innovative ways businesses and organizations are tackling the biggest challenges of our time. Amid the seemingly endless stream of disastrous news, these awards provide more than 1,000 reasons to feel some hope. One thousand fifty-three, to be exact. That’s the total number of honorees that our… Continue Reading
Here is a great resource for what you can do in the fight for abortion rights in all 50 states
Lit Hub: “A Supreme Court draft opinion was leaked last night in which Justice Samuel Alito lays out the court’s pending decision to overturn Roe v. Wade; should this ruling come to pass it would represent one of the largest roll-backs of personal freedom in the history of this country. If you care about an… Continue Reading
SWC’s 2022 Digital Hate Report Exposes Widespread Russian Disinformation
Grades threats from social media and gaming platforms – “On April 28th, the Simon Wiesenthal Center released its 2022 annual Digital Terrorism and Hate Report at a press conference at New York City Hall hosted by New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and seven other influential Council leaders who represent the Big Apple’s diverse… Continue Reading
Facebook Papers – Here’s What They Say About the Ranking Algorithms That Control Your News Feed
This piece is part of Gizmodo’s ongoing effort to make the Facebook Papers available to the public. See the full directory of documents here. “…Today, as part of a rolling effort to make the Facebook Papers available publicly, Gizmodo is releasing a second batch of documents—37 files in all. In our first drop, we shared… Continue Reading
Neutral bots probe political bias on social media
Chen, W., Pacheco, D., Yang, KC. et al. Neutral bots probe political bias on social media. Nat Commun 12, 5580 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-25738-6 [Open Access] “Social media platforms attempting to curb abuse and misinformation have been accused of political bias. We deploy neutral social bots who start following different news sources on Twitter, and track them… Continue Reading
Citizens’ Images of Potential War Crimes in Ukraine Flood the Internet, but Might Not Hold Up in Court
WSJ – Open-source data offers a trove of possible evidence, but it is untested at the International Criminal Court – “Each morning as he sips his coffee, Giancarlo Fiorella opens Telegram, a social-media app popular in Ukraine, and starts scanning for videos of potential war crimes—attacks on schools, or use of cluster munitions. When he… Continue Reading
How Elon Musk might shift Twitter content moderation
Brookings: “…So, what is Musk likely to do with Twitter? He presents himself as a philanthropic custodian of a public resource. In an onstage interview at the TED2022 conference, Musk said, “this isn’t a way to make money. My strong intuitive sense is that having a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive… Continue Reading
Propaganda, Mis- and Disinformation, and Censorship: The War for Hearts and Minds
Via LLRX – Propaganda, Mis- and Disinformation, and Censorship: The War for Hearts and Minds – Author and blogger Dave Pollard addresses the incendiary global war of lies vs. truth, reminiscent of the MAD Magazine cartoon Spy Vs. Spy for those who of us who can recall the scenarios they played which remain eerily prescient.… Continue Reading
What the Fitness Industry Doesn’t Understand
The Atlantic – “A new generation of fitness instructors teaches simple skills that make a difference. Why is beginner-level exercise treated like a niche?…Hampton Liu is a gym teacher of sorts. He has amassed millions of followers across YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok by teaching a remedial PE course for adults from his Arkansas backyard. In… Continue Reading
In the dark – Censored Planet
Seven years, 60 countries, 935 internet shutdowns: How authoritarian regimes found an off switch for dissent: “…Russia is a pioneer in the use of these tools but not an outlier. The technologies it uses are proliferating, creeping into internet infrastructure all over the world, helped by multinational companies that have turned censorship into an off-the-shelf… Continue Reading
