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Focus Areas

Information Distribution

Investigating how news and information travel across platforms, technologies, and audiences.

The Shorenstein Center’s focus on information distribution covers the methods and systems through which news and information are communicated between creators and audiences and back again—ranging from traditional print and broadcast journalism channels to digital platforms like social media, search engines, and news aggregators. Our work examines how algorithms and distribution channels shape what content reaches audiences, the speed and manner in which information spreads, and how people seek out news and essential information. We seek to understand both the opportunities and challenges these systems present for journalism and media creation, democracy, and public discourse. Through research and convenings, we aim to provide insights that help practitioners, policy makers, and audiences navigate and adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of information distribution.

Publications & Resources

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Featured Event

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Impacts of Perceived Misinformation Exposure During Elections and Peer-to-Peer Transmission of Misinformation

Impacts of Perceived Misinformation Exposure During Elections and Peer-to-Peer Transmission of Misinformation

Toby Prike will cover two studies examining the impacts of perceived misinformation exposure on trust, democratic attitudes, and polarization, and present findings from an experiment examining the peer-to-peer transmission of misinformation. 

Event

Zoom webinar
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM ET

Graphic for the “MISINFO Speaker Series” featuring large white text on a pixelated purple background, with logos for Northeastern University’s Institute for Information, the Internet & Democracy and Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center.

Building Knowledge

The Shorenstein Center researches media, audience, and influence through a range of lenses and disciplines.

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