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Media & Politics Must Reads, September 4, 2015

Our weekly roundup of news found at the intersection of media, politics, policy and technology, from the Shorenstein Center and from around the web.

This Week at the Shorenstein Center

The Center welcomed new and returning Harvard Kennedy School students at its Open House. With the start of the new semester, our event series also resumes. View the calendar of upcoming events.

News from Our Fellows

Why Blogging Still Matters. David Weinberger, senior researcher at the Berkman Center and Joan Shorenstein Fellow (Spring 2015), writes about how on the surface, blogging seems to have diminished with the rise of Facebook and with mainstream news outlets producing content that is more casual in tone. Yet, a closer look reveals that the practice of individual blogging is still alive and well.

It’s Time to Stop Laughing at Donald Trump. Renée Loth, Boston Globe columnist and Joan Shorenstein Fellow (Fall 2011), argues that Donald Trump can no longer be treated as “harmless entertainment,” as hate groups are now endorsing his candidacy.

From around the Web

Nice Try, Government Officials, but this Time the Law is on the Citizen’s Side. Lawsuits brought against citizens by local governments for recording a city council meeting and for photographing public records were recently rejected. From Columbia Journalism Review.

Here’s Why You Should Worry about the Polls for the 2016 U.S. Elections — and Beyond, from The Washington Post.

Instagram: The New Political War Room? From NPR.

With “Only Clinton Emails,” BuzzFeed Brings a Distributed Approach to Politics Coverage, from Poynter.

CNN Charging 40 Times Its Usual Price for Spots in Republican Debate, from Advertising Age.

Long Canadian Election Campaign Proving Too Costly for Most Media Outlets, from The Globe and Mail.

Independent Journalism Finds its Voice in Egypt, from Nieman Reports.

How “Democratators” Threaten Press Freedom, from Columbia Journalism Review.

Knight News Challenge Call for Entries: How Might We Make Data Work for Individuals and Communities? From the Knight Foundation.

Boston, New York City Craft New Open Data Policies, from StateScoop.

A New Way to Track Political Money in California, from the Los Angeles Times.

FOIA Site MuckRock Launches New Efforts to Let Users Track Projects and Contribute to Reporting Costs, from Nieman Lab.

How Racial Issues Can Be Fairly Framed, from the Harvard Gazette.

Why Journalists Should Use Transparency as a Tool to Deepen Engagement, from MediaShift.

Twitter and the News: How People Use the Social Network to Learn about the World, from American Press Institute.

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