Media & Politics Must Reads, April 1, 2016

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

Sarah Kliff: Health Care Policy in the Media. Sarah Kliff, deputy managing editor for visuals at Vox, discussed media coverage of the Affordable Care Act, what’s next for health care policy and Vox’s approach to covering policy.

Do Election Lawn Signs Generate Votes? New Research, from Journalist’s Resource.

News from Our Fellows

Julia Baird: Left-Right Culture Fight: Our Terrorism Blind Spot. Julia Baird, author, broadcaster and spring 2005 fellow, analyzes terrorism-related deaths in Western countries and in other parts of the world, in the wake of the Lahore, Pakistan terrorist attack on March 27. She argues that although the majority of these deaths take place outside of Western countries, they receive little media attention in comparison to attacks in places such as France and Belgium.  Covering attacks outside of Western countries is now viewed by some as a political act, she writes, but looking beyond the West is crucial in the fight against terror.

Cruz and Kasich Could Learn Lessons from 1968. Walter Shapiro, Roll Call columnist and spring 2005 fellow, argues that Ted Cruz and John Kasich “do not have to forge a binding agreement. They merely should pursue their own self-interest in a way that does not jeopardize their mutual need to stop Trump from reaching a 1,237-delegate majority.”

Why the War Crimes Conviction of Radovan Karadzic Matters. Two former fellows, Judy Woodruff and David Rohde, discuss the conviction of former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who was recently charged for genocide and crimes against humanity by a UN tribunal for his role in atrocities during the Bosnian civil war.

Award-Winning Journalist and Former NPR Host Michele Norris Uncovers America’s Attitudes about Race. Michele Norris, spring 2015 fellow, discusses taking her Race Card Project, which explores race and identity in the U.S., to college campuses on WXXI’s “Need to Know.”

Matthew Nisbet Named Editor of the Journal Environmental Communication. Matthew Nisbet, associate professor at Northeastern University and fall 2012 fellow, was named the new editor of the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Communication. He also spoke with public radio’s “Marketplace” about strategies for motivating greater public concern over climate change.

From around the Web

America’s Obsession with Social Media is Undermining the Democratic Process, from Quartz.

Who Is Keeping Google and Facebook in Check? From Politico.

Five Years after the Arab Spring, What Does Social Media Mean in the Middle East? From MediaShift.

Independent Local Opinion Writing is Essential – and Endangered. Can We Redesign it for Survival? From Columbia Journalism Review.

Donald Trump vs. Ted Cruz Creates a Headache for Talk Radio Hosts, from The New York Times.

Views of the Primaries, Press Coverage of Candidates, Attitudes about Government and the Country, from Pew Research.

Yes, the Media Bears Some Responsibility for the Rise of Donald Trump — Here’s Proof, from Ev Boyle at USC.

How Trump Hacked the Media, from FiveThirtyEight.

Adventures in the Trump Twittersphere, from The New York Times.

2016 Election Coverage Keeps Shattering Cable News Ratings Records, from Politico.

Why Isn’t the 2016 Election Giving the Evening Newscasts a Boost? From AdWeek

The Influence and Limitations of Black Twitter, from Columbia Journalism Review.

Mass Surveillance Silences Minority Opinions, According to Study, from The Washington Post.

The Waning Influence of American Political Parties, from The Conversation.

American University Students, Faculty Mix It Up on the Campaign Trail, from MediaShift.

FOIA Mapper Aims to Make It Easier for Journalists to Know Where to Look for Public Documents, from Nieman Lab.

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