The COVID-19 pandemic has driven the Internet and related social media and digital technologies to the forefront of societies across the globe. Whether in supporting social distancing, working at home, or online courses, people are increasingly dependent on online media for everyday life and work. If you are teaching courses on the social aspects of … Continue reading Society and the Internet
Political Implications
To Be Virtual or Not to Be: That is Not the Question
Today’s newspapers have wonderfully conflicting stories. One story is about Ministers of Parliament (MPs) in the UK being angry over their ‘virtual parliament’ coming to an end.* The other story is the opposite, about the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, facing criticism from his Cabinet because they are continuing to meet via online video conferencing rather … Continue reading To Be Virtual or Not to Be: That is Not the Question
Publication of A Research Agenda for Digital Politics
A Research Agenda for Digital Politics The publication of my most recent edited book, A Research Agenda for Digital Politics, is available in hardback and electronic forms at: https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/gbp/a-research-agenda-for-digital-politics-9781789903089.html From this site you can look inside the book to review the preface, list of contributors, the table of contents, and my introduction, which includes an outline of the … Continue reading Publication of A Research Agenda for Digital Politics
How People Look for Information about Politics
The following lists papers and work in progress flowing from our research, which began at MSU, and was funded by Google Inc., on how people get access to information about politics. It was launched when I was director of the Quello Center at Michigan State University, but continues with me and colleagues at Quello and … Continue reading How People Look for Information about Politics
Addressing the Quality of Broadcast Coverage of Politics in Britain
As an American living in the UK, who is not a journalist, I’ve long looked at broadcast journalism in Britain as a model for the US to emulate. Over time, however, my confidence in the UK’s coverage has declined. Rather than simply complain, let me offer a few observations and suggestions. Most recently, after weeks of … Continue reading Addressing the Quality of Broadcast Coverage of Politics in Britain
Managing the Shift to Next Generation Television
Columbia University’s Professor Eli Noam was in Oxford yesterday, 17 October 2019, speaking at Green Templeton College about two of his most recent books, entitled ‘Managing Media and Digital Organizations’ and ‘Digital and Media Management’: https://www.palgrave.com/gp/book/9783319712871. The title of his talk was ‘Does Digital Management Exist? Challenges for the Next Generation of TV’. Several departments collaborated … Continue reading Managing the Shift to Next Generation Television
The Politics of Language
The language of day-to-day politics in the news and in legislative bodies, such as the UK parliament, has been so vitriolic, such as around the Brexit debate from 2016, that many have been stopped listening. It can be toxic to some, while energising to others. I should add that I would single out no one, … Continue reading The Politics of Language
Society and the Internet, 2nd Edition
It is such a pleasure to see the publication today of the second edition of Society and the Internet by Oxford University Press. My co-editor, Mark Graham, and I worked long and hard to assemble a wonderful set of authors to build on the first edition. The success of the original volume led to this … Continue reading Society and the Internet, 2nd Edition
The Internecine Politics Undermining the Civility of Political Discourse?
Brexit has spawned a form of internecine politics in the UK that is a lose-lose for all - the politicians, parties, and the nations, and very likely, the public interest. Conservatives have referred to 'blue on blue' attacks on one's own party members, but not as in military parlance, accidental. These are really intentional efforts … Continue reading The Internecine Politics Undermining the Civility of Political Discourse?