Is the end of hybrid conferences arriving just as they have been invented? I assumed that in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and the shifts to more people working remotely and from home, that academic conferences would not think twice about embracing hybrid forms of meeting even as academics begin to travel again. Well, … Continue reading Back to the Future of Academic Conferences
Calling a War a War
The Symbolic Politics of Terminology for Russia's War on Ukraine with Lisa Chernenko and Mykyta Petik Some Ukrainians have no concern over what people call Russia's War on Ukraine - they are living in it. But some do, and the choice of terminology can have political, legal, and moral implications. So it is essential to … Continue reading Calling a War a War
Hurrah! Bringing Hope Back to Ukraine
The psychology of warfare is often overlooked when focusing on the hard realities of physical, active, kinetic military actions. Ed Baker (2024) wrote about the British cheer (huzza, hooray, hussaw, huzzay, or hurrah) being so important to the morale of British troops. It is in that spirit that Congressional passage of funds for Ukraine can … Continue reading Hurrah! Bringing Hope Back to Ukraine
Time is Running Out for the US
Fulfill American Assurances in Funding Ukraine Vladimir Putin is exploiting American electioneering to advance his war on Ukraine. The surge of hundreds of missiles and glide bombs per week, recently taking out power stations in major cities, including Kyiv, has been devastating. These heightened attacks are largely enabled by the lack of funding promised for … Continue reading Time is Running Out for the US
The Importance of Media Literacy
Dear Colleagues of the ASEAN Regional Symposium in Bangkok, Thailand, Congratulations on the success of your ASEAN Regional Symposium on 20 March 2024, entitled ‘Unveiling Insights into the Region’s Digital Literacy’. I want to thank you again for inviting me. I enjoyed participating in the panel discussion you organized and am delighted to provide a … Continue reading The Importance of Media Literacy
Journalism Study is as Important as Ever
A. Michael Noll April 8, 2024 © Copyright 2024 AMN [Posted with the permission of the author, A. Michael Noll. This post is a great example of the Fifth Estate, holding the press more accountable.] Contrary to the “conventional wisdom,” journalism is not dead -- the study and conduct of good journalism is as important … Continue reading Journalism Study is as Important as Ever
Putin’s Showcase for Authoritarian Democracy
Putin Re-elected and Pre-Elected in a Showcase for Authoritarian Democracy Westerners find the election of Validmir Putin to have been a democratic sham. By any basic democratic standards, the reelection of Putin in 2024 failed. It was predetermined by engineering and manufacturing the outcome through such devices as the elimination of serious opposition, such as … Continue reading Putin’s Showcase for Authoritarian Democracy
Kate’s Mother’s Day Photo
Stand Up to the Photo Police, Kate, it’s the Digital Age I am amazed by the flurry of social media posts about the Mother’s Day photo of the Princess of Wales and her children. When flaws or discrepancies in the photo were reported, the Princess, Kate Middleton, admitted to doing her own amateur editing of … Continue reading Kate’s Mother’s Day Photo
AI REGULATION
A. Michael Noll March 4, 2024 © Copyright 2024 AMN [This blog is authored by A. Michael Noll, an Emeritus Professor at USC, and a early pioneer in digital computer art and 3D animation and tactile communication at Bell Labs. Posted with the permission of the author.] Regulators like to regulate, and technology and big … Continue reading AI REGULATION
Are YOU the Problem? Holding Up a Mirror to our Political System
The esteemed American scholar of politics and international relations, Francis Fukuyama, wrote an engaging opinion piece in The Financial Times (2/3 March 2024: 11), entitled ‘We can still reverse America’s political decay’. He begins with a litany of issues tied to the widespread perception that liberal democracies, like the US, are declining. In fact, he … Continue reading Are YOU the Problem? Holding Up a Mirror to our Political System