Social Media

As social media in all its forms has become the dominant channel for reaching audiences, the Shorenstein Center is committed to studying its impact from every angle. Recognizing the rise of the creator economy and independent journalism published on social platforms, we analyze how both established media organizations and individual creators use these channels to produce and distribute news and public interest content. Additionally, our work investigates how audiences engage with social media—how they discover, evaluate, and share information in these spaces—shedding light on changing patterns of news consumption, misinformation, and civic participation in the digital age. Our research delves into how the major social media companies operate, examining their practices, algorithms, and the influence they wield over the information ecosystem, and we explore the evolving public policy and regulatory landscape surrounding these platforms.