I have been a proverbial news enthusiast – maybe even a news junkie – for decades. I roll out of bed to read a couple of morning papers everyday (real newspapers delivered to my door) and subscribe to more online. I’ve always enjoyed humour and cartoons accompanying the news, but never have I appreciated humour … Continue reading The Bright Side of the News
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Heroes of the Horizon Post Office Scandal
The UK’s Post Office Horizon IT scandal was one of the UK’s greatest miscarriages of justice involving IT and the public in Britain. It resulted in more than 700 sub-postmasters and postmistresses charged or prosecuted for theft – even though financial losses were judged much later to be the consequence of a defective Horizon IT … Continue reading Heroes of the Horizon Post Office Scandal
Reputational Crash: The Return of the Ugly Americans
As an American living in Europe, I have been surprised by the number of friends and acquaintances in the US who are angry at democratic nations across NATO, Europe, and the world for not agreeing to calls from President Trump to support his military operations against Iran. Their frustration is not simply because the US … Continue reading Reputational Crash: The Return of the Ugly Americans
Supporting Ukraine’s Science Diaspora
I had the privilege of attending a two-day event (23-24 March 2026) at the University of Liverpool entitled ‘The UK-Ukraine Research Twinning Showcase and Networking 2026’. It was organized by Dr. Igor Potapov and held at Liverpool’s School of Law and Social Justice. I was impressed by the number of initiatives between the UK and … Continue reading Supporting Ukraine’s Science Diaspora
Distrust in the US
Distrust in the US: Collapsing Foundations of the Trump Administration Trust in the United States has been sinking – collapsing. The foundations of this distrust are two interrelated aspects of the Trump administration: the decline in Presidential authority and the failure of checks and balances, broadly defined. By checks and balances I mean more than … Continue reading Distrust in the US
TELEPHONE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
TELEPHONE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY: Credit to All A. Michael Noll March 4, 2026 © copyright AMN 2026 [This blog by A. Michael Noll is distributed here with the permission of the author.] The telephone was patented by Alexander Graham Bell on March 7, 1876, although an inscription in the margin had been made on the Bell … Continue reading TELEPHONE’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
Trump and the Evolution of Political Communication
All conventions on the norms and practices governing political communication, particularly around presidential communications, have been shattered by US President Donald J Trump. The Israel-US War on Iran provides a recent example. In the first 48 hours of the War on Iran, the US administration gave mixed messages over its rationale and aims, justifying the … Continue reading Trump and the Evolution of Political Communication
Very Effective Opposition to US Foreign Policy in Munich
Tradition has it that partisan politics and opposition stays in the US and the government speaks with one voice in international arenas on foreign policy. There have been many exceptions to this, and the 2026 Munich Security Conference is a major one. From my perspective, I was so pleased to see American opposition to the … Continue reading Very Effective Opposition to US Foreign Policy in Munich
Focus on Ukraine
In the aftermath of excellent speeches at the WEF by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, I see some clarity in thinking and moving forward. Policymakers can’t keep being deflected by repeated volleys of one-day crises, with their twists and turns, such as with Donald Trump feeding of the news media … Continue reading Focus on Ukraine
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