TikTok
This week, Shannon McGregor made an appearance on Marketplace Tech to discuss how candidates use TikTok to inform and engage with potential voters. The bottom line?
Don’t hop on every single TikTok trend because that will violate the biggest ‘don’t’ which is to be authentic.
She also made an appearance on Chapelboro’s Aaron Keck Show to discuss misinformation, disinformation, and social media. Speaking about the ongoing impact of disinformation, she noted:
I think we should be worried about it now. Not necessarily maybe more than in other times – but one of the reasons that I think it’s so worrying now is that we have people who were elected by spreading disinformation about voting, about elections, about the 2020 election, who [now] seek to take away the power of people to provide a check on them. Using the tools of democracy to undermine democracy. That’s not necessarily brand new, but the scale that we’re seeing it now, we have not seen at least for quite some time.
Listen to the full conversation.
…and Twitter
Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has begun. We’re not optimistic about what it means.
Deen Freelon explored two different scenarios in his latest Twitter thread:
If Musk can’t keep a lid on spam, harassment, hate, violence, and patently illegal content – which might be tough with 75% of the staff gone – folks will start leaving in droves.
Shannon McGregor noted how that would impact democracy.
Most people are not on Twitter — but the platform plays an outsized role in journalism & politics. Changing moderation policies without considering the impacts on the workings of our democratic institutions is deeply irresponsible.
All isn’t completely, despair: as Tressie McMillian Cottom points out that there’s a limit to Twitter’s influence and how much can be lost.
The real lesson is one we know but never seem to apply: if it can be bought by a billionaire it’s probably not doing much societal good to begin with.
Publications and appearances
“These platforms are responding to the weaponization of disinformation on the right in a way that undermines the peaceful transfer of power and democratic elections.” Daniel Kreiss appeared on Tech Policy Press’s The Sunday Show to discuss platform election policies about elections.
Affiliate DeVan Hankerson Madrigal published new research documenting the high rates of violent threats online faced by women of color running for office in the U.S.
Affiliate Meredith Pruden and colleagues have a new article out on the media framing of foreign countries in U.S. news.
Coming soon
November 9: The Center for the Study of the American South hosts a conversation with Psyche Williams-Forson and Tressie McMillan Cottom who will discuss Williams-Forson’s Eating While Black: Food Shaming and Race in America.
November 10: The CITAP fall speaker series wraps up with Tamara K. Nopper delivering on Crime Data and Policing Data as Open Data: Considering Research Ethics, Transparency, and Privacy. Event information and registration. RSVP is required for livestream access.
December 18: Deadline for The Platform Governance Research Network’s abstract submissions. Mark your calendars for their conference on April 3-5, 2023!
Jobs
Check out this Twitter thread of political communication/communication job postings.
The University of Virginia’s Department of Media Studies seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor or Associate Professor.
The University of Georgia seeks a full-time, tenure-trackAssistant Professor in Political Rhetoric.
The University of Utah seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Journalism: Race, News, and Community.
The Department of Communication at UNC-Chapel Hill seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in Rhetoric.
The Department of Communication at the University of Ottawa seeks a tenure-track Assistant Professor specializing in Political Communication.
MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative seeks a Postdoctoral Associate – Climate Communications and Engagement.
Rest of Web
👩⚖️ ICYMI, this week a judge issued a $24.6m fine in the State of Washington v. Meta suit.
📢 It’s Vote Early Day today! If you’re able to, we hope that you’ll vote in this midterm election!