A photo of Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin standing together at the Alaska ‘Summit’ in August 2025 is displayed in the Palm Room of Trump’s White House. It speaks volumes of Trump’s inexplicable admiration of Putin along with other autocrats and dictators, and what Volodymyr Zelenskyy is up against in negotiating with Russia while the … Continue reading David versus Two Goliaths – and Winning
Friends and Colleagues
CITI MEMORIES by A. Michael Noll
[Colleagues are celebrating Professor Eli Noam's illustrious career as he retires from directing the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI) and his professorship at the Columbia Business School. I am delighted to post A. Michael Noll's personal reflections on Eli's career with the permission of the author.] CITI MEMORIES A. Michael Noll January 5, 2026 Introduction … Continue reading CITI MEMORIES by A. Michael Noll
150th Anniversary of Telephone Patent
The 150th Anniversary of Telephone Patent by A. Michael Noll [This blog is distributed with the permission of the author, A. Michael Noll.] March 7th 2026 is the 150th anniversary of the award of the patent for the telephone to Alexander Graham Bell. These 150 years have seen an expansion of the telephone in incredible … Continue reading 150th Anniversary of Telephone Patent
Write Letters: A 2026 Resolution
Many journalists are noting the ‘lost art’ of letter-writing.[i] Evidence of this decline abounds, such as in the number of letters delivered per household, revenue generated by postal services, and many anecdotal accounts, including my own. The general picture is nicely summarized in the following UK statistics: “According to annual Post Office statistics, today, the … Continue reading Write Letters: A 2026 Resolution
Before you Demonize Social Media: Researchers are at Work
Not a day goes by when someone does not blame a problem on social media. A top journalist at The Financial Times wrote about the ‘social media ‘monster’’, in this case focusing on the use of mobile and social media can be addictive for some users (Thornhill 2025). Its squares with common sense, right? Our … Continue reading Before you Demonize Social Media: Researchers are at Work
Stand with the BBC
As an American living in the UK and a strong supporter of the BBC, let me simply urge the BBC not to be intimidated by anyone or allow criticism of mistakes it made to undermine your morale and visionary mission. You are the gold standard of broadcast news – not just public service broadcasting. Your … Continue reading Stand with the BBC
Kamala’s 107 Days
Kamala’s 107 Days: The 2024 US Presidential Election I enjoyed reading 107 Days by Kamala Harris.[1] Her nearly day by day recounting of the 2024 presidential election is a solid and useful aid-memoir for anyone who might wish to reflect on the dynamics of the election and its outcome. I could imagine it being an … Continue reading Kamala’s 107 Days
A Bad Deal for American Universities
A Bad Deal for American Universities, with an added Postscript The White House has sent a ‘Compact for Excellence in Higher Education’ to nine universities across the US.[1] The Trump administration wants to make a deal with them that is likely to be extended to many, if not all, American universities. The Trump administration offers … Continue reading A Bad Deal for American Universities
A Digital ID Card?
The UK Labour Party’s Obsession with a (Digital) ID Card: Time to Reconsider When I returned to the UK in the summer of 2002, to take up an academic position, I was on a panel discussing the adoption of ID Cards. I spoke against an ID Card, immediately after the Home Secretary (at that time) … Continue reading A Digital ID Card?
Democratic Innovations: A New Research Project
I am happy to report that we have support for a wonderful new research project with the Portulans Institute focused on democratic innovations. It will be anchored by two complementary components. The first, which will be central to my work, is focused on finding and critically researching democratic innovations. While much discussion worldwide has focused … Continue reading Democratic Innovations: A New Research Project