Trump on newspaper front page

Media & Politics Must Reads, December 9, 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

News Coverage of the 2016 General Election: How the Press Failed the Voters. A new report from the Shorenstein Center analyzes news coverage during the 2016 general election, and concludes that both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump received coverage that was overwhelmingly negative in tone and extremely light on policy. The study found that, on topics relating to the candidates’ fitness for office, Clinton and Trump’s coverage was virtually identical in terms of its negative tone. “Were the allegations surrounding Clinton of the same order of magnitude as those surrounding Trump?” asks Thomas Patterson, the study’s author. “It’s a question that political reporters made no serious effort to answer during the 2016 campaign.”

Richard Stengel Named Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellow. Richard Stengel, former Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs in the U.S. State Department, and former TIME Managing Editor, is the newest recipient of the Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy Fellowship. Stengel’s fellowship will focus on the relationship between the media and the government. During his time on campus Stengel will conduct a study group, meet with students and faculty, speak at various events for the Harvard community and participate in Shorenstein Center activities. He will be in residence from February 1, 2017 through May 2017.

News from Our Faculty, Fellows and Students

The Worst Kind of Fake News Comes from the Cops. Jeffrey Seglin, Director of the HKS Communications Program, discusses the ethical issues that arose when a California police department spread fake news to aid in an investigation earlier this year.

As Republicans Promise Obamacare Demise, Reporters Attempt Their Own Do-Over. Trudy Lieberman, spring 2001 fellow, writes about the shortcomings of news coverage of the Affordable Care Act, and how journalists can improve their coverage moving forward.

The European Union May Be Fragile, but It’s Not Cracking up Just Yet. Richard Parker, Lecturer in Public Policy, discusses the future of the EU and its relationship to the United States in an interview on PRI’s “The World.”

Highlights from the Kennedy School Review. The student-run Kennedy School Review publishes analysis of major policy issues and showcases the best work of Kennedy School students. Richard Parker of the Shorenstein Center serves as the journal’s adviser. Recently, HKS students have considered the path forward after the 2016 election:

Reflections on the Election and its Coverage

Trump and the Press

Algorithms and Democracy

The Uphill Battle against Fake News

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