The heads of the “Big Four” tech companies – Google, Apple, Amazon, and Facebook – are testifying today in front of the House Judiciary Committee as part of the ongoing investigation into potential antitrust violations in the tech industry. The Shorenstein Center’s researchers have long been thinking and writing about the influence of Big Tech […]
Big Tech: Regulation and Moderation Read More »
As the country erupted into protests following the murder of George Floyd, companies across the spectrum issued their respective statements of solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. These external displays of support for Black people appear as empty gestures, however, as these same companies continue to fail their Black employees. In this article, HKS
Why words aren’t enough from companies claiming to support Black Lives Matter Read More »
The comment sections of social media platforms hold some of the most vitriolic outbursts of hate on the internet. Despite this, US tech giants remain reluctant to censor comments and content on their respective platforms to protect their users’ First Amendment right. Amid two public health crises — COVID-19 and systemic racism — social media
You Purged Racists From Your Website? Great, Now Get to Work Read More »
All it takes is a chain of misinformed retweets, reposts, or shares to start a conspiracy. While this might seem far-fetched, this habit of spreading misinformation on social media birthed a group of coronavirus deniers at the onset of the pandemic in the United States. Though born out of social media conspiracies, coronavirus deniers have
Protest misinformation is riding on the success of pandemic hoaxes Read More »
Turning on the news or scrolling down a social media feed reveals a litany of headlines detailing the President’s latest snafu. Despite this, Trump boasts higher approval ratings than his less controversial Republican predecessors, including former President George Bush. HKS Professor Matthew Baum explores how and why Trump’s popularity has been able to weather a
Even now, Trump still have approval ratings far higher than George Bush. Here’s Why Read More »
Join us this week for BIG, If True as we delve into the formidable struggle against the deployment of facial recognition technology. In light of the recent wave of Black Lives Matter protests, there are distressing concerns that facial recognition software is being used to target and catalogue people engaging in protected speech and assembly.
The Technology and Social Change Project’s (TaSC) Political Pandemonium 2020 is a series of three digital workshops exploring the harmful effects of media manipulation on our society. These gatherings will each focus on a unique subtopic of interest to both the field of Critical Internet Studies and the broader public concerns about disinformation in elections.
What does it Mean to Protest Today? Media Manipulation and the Movement for Black Lives Read More »
Friday, July 10, 2020 – This episode of BIG, If True reflects on the hybrid battles being waged by journalists, activists, and dissidents against censorship and disinformation in Southeast Asia. The discussion traces the genesis of the recent attacks on the freedom to expression, from the rise and fall of the Anti-Fake News Act in Malaysia to the
The fifth survey conducted by the multi-university COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Public’s Policy Preferences Across States, led in part by Shorenstein Center faculty Matthew Baum and Kennedy School Institute of Politics Polling Director John Della Volpe, found that between April and June approval ratings for how governors and the President have handled the COVID-19
New COVID Public Opinion Study Finds Declining Approval for Government Executives Read More »
In this episode of BIG, If True, we’ll reflect on the hybrid battles being waged by journalists, activists, and dissidents against censorship and disinformation in Southeast Asia. The discussion will trace the genesis of the recent attacks on the freedom to expression, from the rise and fall of the Anti-Fake News Act in Malaysia to
Even as Black people are disproportionately dying from the virus due to systemic racism, harmful inaccuracies about COVID-19 are metastasizing in Black online spaces. Using multi-site digital ethnography, Shorenstein Center Fellow Brandi Collins-Dexter tracked and identified the spread of this disinformation, and makes recommendations on how to combat it.
Canaries in the Coal Mine: COVID-19 Misinformation and Black Communities Read More »
Tuesday, June 23, 2020 – The Shorenstein Center hosted a conversation with Tara Westover, author of the award winning memoir, Educated, Gene Sperling, author of the new book Economic Dignity and Former Director of the National Economic Council For Presidents Clinton and Obama, and Setti Warren, Executive Director of the Shorenstein Center, on what’s really happening economically to people in communities
America’s Economic Experience Read More »
The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a Harvard Kennedy School research center dedicated to exploring and illuminating the intersection of press, politics and public policy in theory and practice. The Center strives to bridge the gap between journalists and scholars, and between them and the public.
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