bout one-in-five Americans – including a much higher share of adults under 30 (37%) – say they regularly get news from influencers on social media.”
The report notes that these “influencers” lurk especially on Elon Musk’s questionable X-Twitter site “where 85% have a presence.”
Steve, you have been in the news business for more thana few laps around the barn. You know how diligent mainstream media are in trying to get it right before broadcast or the presses crank up.
Who edits the influencers? Apparently no one.
“Most (77%) have no affiliation or background with a news organization,” says the Pew report.
Sort of like, “hey, come on aboard my airliner. I really never had much training but I’m sure you’ll find the peanuts to your liking.”
Yup. That’s a huge issue. The dems need a strategy to counteract what may begin in the mainstream, winds up in whatever form on X and meanders through other social media - spread by the folks who diligently follow the ‘influencers.’ I see it in their whacked out FB feeds.
It is a big part of what Nathan Heller at The New Yorker calls “ambience of communication.” It’s everywhere all the time. People bump into it and take bits and pieces from it. They are not searching for political news. [I’ll add that after something or someone becomes familiar, the Familiarity principle kicks in. Familiar = safe and trustworthy.] He also says research shows we use patterns (based on little info) to sift through it. He doesn’t elaborate, but I’d say those could involve buzzwords or phases & identities or things that fit with what Heller says trump uses in mass media - notions.
Then we all know social media feeds us more of what we engage in. The more we engage, the more of it we see. Even if it was a moment of curiosity. Algorithms. You have to seek out other info to get away from it. The platforms also know things that evoke strong emotions, are violent or controversial draw engagement. Engagement = ad $$. They boost those things.
Every year on July 4th I participate in a community reading of Frederick Douglass's famous 1852 speech, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Many come to hear it live, then it's broadcast and available on demand through our local-access cable station. It's a powerful way to remind us that, as Faulkner wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." And that July 4th is a promise to live up to, not a done deal.
Wonderful post about two true American heroes. For more, I highly recommend David Blight’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography on Douglas and the 2019 movie “Harriet”.
This is the reminder we need that others have endured and resisted far worse. And they have done so, in large part, on behalf of the promises of fundamental rights and democracy. Thank you.
Thanks so much for this, Steven. Preach it, sister. Preach it brother.
Right now I still have to guard my intake of information so as to not topple into deep anxiety. I have been there. I don't intend to ever return if I can avoid it.
But consider it a sincere compliment that I am going to still be part of the America America, certainly to read your reflections and contribute when I can (now back to editing a scientific paper as my first contract job that I so so need to survive financially)
Goodness Steven, reading Harriet and Frederick how is it possible to feel fearful compared to what they went through ! My goodness.
The good thing is once you decide to be courageous, it becomes easy. It even becomes a little.. addictive. Lol there’s no turning back
My French dad taught me that. He had been arrested by the gestapo in 1943 as giving wrong information to the Nazis and he survived a short time in Buchenwald and then a longer time in political prisoners camp in Plansee.
Two observations: True heroes … but can we expect African-Americans to rescue again a country that still spurns them?
And these two historical heroes had living memories of stark and brutal slavery, the younger generations don’t and perhaps can convince themselves that maybe it won’t be so bad this time around …
I don’t think the point was that African-Americans are supposed to rescue us again. But that these heroes showed the character including smarts, strength & endurance we need to call up within ourselves.
I agree that as the horrors of bad decisions no longer loom or younger generations, or at least seem distant, their attention turns to other things. Their rent doubling in 2 yrs while wages for them may or may not have increased and other daily ‘what about me’ issues. I believe it is why voters with incomes over $100K (as well as college graduates) broke for the Dems. They are in a stable enough situation to look to the future and the big picture. Have the education and are literate enough to ‘do their own research.’
Thank you for sharing the important contributions of the heroes of opposition to slavery as well as the historic SNL sketch, Steven. I really thought that Kamala had nailed it when she appeared there this time around. I was in tears again the morning after. The country seems to have taken a hard-right turn, although the popular vote percentage is diminishing as more votes are counted. Keep up the good work for freedom.
Steven, I just received a NY Times gift article from my daughter about how avoiding the news has become popular for us losers. I kept thinking but that isn’t me. Then I read this article. This is me. Thanks.
I’m a teacher who’s been trying to expose the corruption in our schools since 1995 as I knew then it would dismantle democracy. Unfortunately, I was right. Yet not one person with a voice that gets heard in a society where celebrities prevail will listen to me or to the other teacher whistleblowers at WhiteChalkCrime.com.
Our schools, the foundation of democracy, are what paved the way to Trump. I know this to be true. Self serving, lawless authoritarians run our schools. .
Abraham Lincoln correctly said, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation, will be the philosophy of government in the next."
I just poured my heart out in a memoir describing my teaching days. When democracy lost, my first thought was to give up. Fixing the schools in the way I know will work is no longer an option. Autocracy won. I was called to teach democracy.
However, in a few days I realized my book, A Graver Danger, is a roadmap that people can use to run for school boards. Boards hold all the power. People don’t realize that since self serving administrators groom citizens to be rubber stamping boards for their control. We can have people like us run on a save democracy platform. My book explains how to end school shootings. They’re signals that something is wrong has not been recognized as a warning since no one has a clue how corrupt our schools are. We can win on that!
We can create an island of democracy for us within this dismal world about to drown us.
I will send this article to my daughter who’s probably more worried about my physical health. No way I’m giving up when I know what brought us Trump and how we can erase him like chalk on a blackboard once the truth about our schools is known.
Thank you for this piece, Steven. It is good to be inspired by such courage, such selfless action and determination, and to be called to the same ourselves. I worry, tho', that too many of our citizens have led such comfortable lives that most will not be inspired to act against the tyranny that looms large. Many of my friends -- good people -- seem to be adopting the view (hope) that somehow none of this will directly impact them, that they can hunker down and wait it out for four years until the Tyrant and his minions are thrown out of office. Sounds good, but I fear there will not be another election in four years -- likely not even in two years. They are telling us every day that they are going to hit the ground running on day one, and work quickly to deconstruct the administrative state. And they mean it. I wonder what will it take for the majority of Americans to literally put their bodies on the line to fight fascism?
Slavery? What slavery? American good will saved the souls of African savages, taught them lessons of agriculture and gave them the means to live productive future lives. So shall it be taught.
Books having to do with tales of mixed up gender children must be burned. As for subjects dealing with pornography, they, too, are banned-that life is only allowed among the inner circle.
Women will not be but will accommodate soldiers in our own lebensborn program. Pure white, northern European ancestry women will live in compounds near bases. Musk will design them. We must increase our population, and after all, our fellows need R & R. All women will be required to have 2 babies.
Doors will be closed on all unchurches. Only Christian ones may hold open services. Organs will be accompanied by trump golden guitars, and our savior's gold framed picture will hang behind the pulpit requiring a kneeling before it upon entrance.
A new line of gas stations will open, Trump Petrol, run by son Eric as Junior to shaky and nervous to be allowed near gasoline.
Chicken pox marks on skin children will receive authentic Kennedy certificates.
Lara Trump will sing our national anthem before the opening of congressional sessions.
Grocery stores that hang a picture of Trump, Putin and Orban together will give free eggs to customers.
Where and whence will our American Alexei Navalny arise ??
This time Democrats (the party of the common man) didn't seem to appreciate the impact of on going inflation, ie the price of eggs. Biden might have addressed that issue if he ran. It's still unfathomable that Ds did not address inflation. For fear of criticizing Bidens admin? The Ds were so self involved they didn't listen to, and hence ignored, the R demagogues. The Ds made assumptions that the working class had the same mind-set of wealthy Ds allied with Kamala. Ds assumed the average voters knew and understand the complex programs which were enacted. In short, the Ds were aloof and out of touch.
Steven, thanks for the reminder that, as awful as we think we have it, our anguish is nothing compared to that of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and the countless and nameless others who endured the perversity and the cruelty of slavery. How can we give up, when they persisted in the face of the overwhelming odds against their very survival and that of their loved ones. We might ever witness such bravery.
Wow, Steven - so powerful. Upon finishing reading, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, but the tears still escaped. How can we "give up"?
bout one-in-five Americans – including a much higher share of adults under 30 (37%) – say they regularly get news from influencers on social media.”
The report notes that these “influencers” lurk especially on Elon Musk’s questionable X-Twitter site “where 85% have a presence.”
Steve, you have been in the news business for more thana few laps around the barn. You know how diligent mainstream media are in trying to get it right before broadcast or the presses crank up.
Who edits the influencers? Apparently no one.
“Most (77%) have no affiliation or background with a news organization,” says the Pew report.
Sort of like, “hey, come on aboard my airliner. I really never had much training but I’m sure you’ll find the peanuts to your liking.”
It’s going to be a bumpy flight. .
Yup. That’s a huge issue. The dems need a strategy to counteract what may begin in the mainstream, winds up in whatever form on X and meanders through other social media - spread by the folks who diligently follow the ‘influencers.’ I see it in their whacked out FB feeds.
It is a big part of what Nathan Heller at The New Yorker calls “ambience of communication.” It’s everywhere all the time. People bump into it and take bits and pieces from it. They are not searching for political news. [I’ll add that after something or someone becomes familiar, the Familiarity principle kicks in. Familiar = safe and trustworthy.] He also says research shows we use patterns (based on little info) to sift through it. He doesn’t elaborate, but I’d say those could involve buzzwords or phases & identities or things that fit with what Heller says trump uses in mass media - notions.
Then we all know social media feeds us more of what we engage in. The more we engage, the more of it we see. Even if it was a moment of curiosity. Algorithms. You have to seek out other info to get away from it. The platforms also know things that evoke strong emotions, are violent or controversial draw engagement. Engagement = ad $$. They boost those things.
Every year on July 4th I participate in a community reading of Frederick Douglass's famous 1852 speech, "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?" Many come to hear it live, then it's broadcast and available on demand through our local-access cable station. It's a powerful way to remind us that, as Faulkner wrote, "The past is never dead. It's not even past." And that July 4th is a promise to live up to, not a done deal.
What a great tradition.
It is! It happens in many other places too, so I feel like I'm participating in something that extends both back in time and across the country.
Wonderful post about two true American heroes. For more, I highly recommend David Blight’s Pulitzer Prize winning biography on Douglas and the 2019 movie “Harriet”.
This is the reminder we need that others have endured and resisted far worse. And they have done so, in large part, on behalf of the promises of fundamental rights and democracy. Thank you.
Thank you 🙏 and we cannot stop!!! Powerful message!!!
Thanks so much for this, Steven. Preach it, sister. Preach it brother.
Right now I still have to guard my intake of information so as to not topple into deep anxiety. I have been there. I don't intend to ever return if I can avoid it.
But consider it a sincere compliment that I am going to still be part of the America America, certainly to read your reflections and contribute when I can (now back to editing a scientific paper as my first contract job that I so so need to survive financially)
Goodness Steven, reading Harriet and Frederick how is it possible to feel fearful compared to what they went through ! My goodness.
The good thing is once you decide to be courageous, it becomes easy. It even becomes a little.. addictive. Lol there’s no turning back
My French dad taught me that. He had been arrested by the gestapo in 1943 as giving wrong information to the Nazis and he survived a short time in Buchenwald and then a longer time in political prisoners camp in Plansee.
He used to say it becomes simple, you just do it
Two observations: True heroes … but can we expect African-Americans to rescue again a country that still spurns them?
And these two historical heroes had living memories of stark and brutal slavery, the younger generations don’t and perhaps can convince themselves that maybe it won’t be so bad this time around …
I don’t think the point was that African-Americans are supposed to rescue us again. But that these heroes showed the character including smarts, strength & endurance we need to call up within ourselves.
I agree that as the horrors of bad decisions no longer loom or younger generations, or at least seem distant, their attention turns to other things. Their rent doubling in 2 yrs while wages for them may or may not have increased and other daily ‘what about me’ issues. I believe it is why voters with incomes over $100K (as well as college graduates) broke for the Dems. They are in a stable enough situation to look to the future and the big picture. Have the education and are literate enough to ‘do their own research.’
Thank you for sharing the important contributions of the heroes of opposition to slavery as well as the historic SNL sketch, Steven. I really thought that Kamala had nailed it when she appeared there this time around. I was in tears again the morning after. The country seems to have taken a hard-right turn, although the popular vote percentage is diminishing as more votes are counted. Keep up the good work for freedom.
Steven, I just received a NY Times gift article from my daughter about how avoiding the news has become popular for us losers. I kept thinking but that isn’t me. Then I read this article. This is me. Thanks.
I’m a teacher who’s been trying to expose the corruption in our schools since 1995 as I knew then it would dismantle democracy. Unfortunately, I was right. Yet not one person with a voice that gets heard in a society where celebrities prevail will listen to me or to the other teacher whistleblowers at WhiteChalkCrime.com.
Our schools, the foundation of democracy, are what paved the way to Trump. I know this to be true. Self serving, lawless authoritarians run our schools. .
Abraham Lincoln correctly said, "The philosophy of the school room in one generation, will be the philosophy of government in the next."
I just poured my heart out in a memoir describing my teaching days. When democracy lost, my first thought was to give up. Fixing the schools in the way I know will work is no longer an option. Autocracy won. I was called to teach democracy.
However, in a few days I realized my book, A Graver Danger, is a roadmap that people can use to run for school boards. Boards hold all the power. People don’t realize that since self serving administrators groom citizens to be rubber stamping boards for their control. We can have people like us run on a save democracy platform. My book explains how to end school shootings. They’re signals that something is wrong has not been recognized as a warning since no one has a clue how corrupt our schools are. We can win on that!
We can create an island of democracy for us within this dismal world about to drown us.
I will send this article to my daughter who’s probably more worried about my physical health. No way I’m giving up when I know what brought us Trump and how we can erase him like chalk on a blackboard once the truth about our schools is known.
Thank you for this piece, Steven. It is good to be inspired by such courage, such selfless action and determination, and to be called to the same ourselves. I worry, tho', that too many of our citizens have led such comfortable lives that most will not be inspired to act against the tyranny that looms large. Many of my friends -- good people -- seem to be adopting the view (hope) that somehow none of this will directly impact them, that they can hunker down and wait it out for four years until the Tyrant and his minions are thrown out of office. Sounds good, but I fear there will not be another election in four years -- likely not even in two years. They are telling us every day that they are going to hit the ground running on day one, and work quickly to deconstruct the administrative state. And they mean it. I wonder what will it take for the majority of Americans to literally put their bodies on the line to fight fascism?
Imagining the coming Trump's Tower-ing Inferno:
Slavery? What slavery? American good will saved the souls of African savages, taught them lessons of agriculture and gave them the means to live productive future lives. So shall it be taught.
Books having to do with tales of mixed up gender children must be burned. As for subjects dealing with pornography, they, too, are banned-that life is only allowed among the inner circle.
Women will not be but will accommodate soldiers in our own lebensborn program. Pure white, northern European ancestry women will live in compounds near bases. Musk will design them. We must increase our population, and after all, our fellows need R & R. All women will be required to have 2 babies.
Doors will be closed on all unchurches. Only Christian ones may hold open services. Organs will be accompanied by trump golden guitars, and our savior's gold framed picture will hang behind the pulpit requiring a kneeling before it upon entrance.
A new line of gas stations will open, Trump Petrol, run by son Eric as Junior to shaky and nervous to be allowed near gasoline.
Chicken pox marks on skin children will receive authentic Kennedy certificates.
Lara Trump will sing our national anthem before the opening of congressional sessions.
Grocery stores that hang a picture of Trump, Putin and Orban together will give free eggs to customers.
Where and whence will our American Alexei Navalny arise ??
This time Democrats (the party of the common man) didn't seem to appreciate the impact of on going inflation, ie the price of eggs. Biden might have addressed that issue if he ran. It's still unfathomable that Ds did not address inflation. For fear of criticizing Bidens admin? The Ds were so self involved they didn't listen to, and hence ignored, the R demagogues. The Ds made assumptions that the working class had the same mind-set of wealthy Ds allied with Kamala. Ds assumed the average voters knew and understand the complex programs which were enacted. In short, the Ds were aloof and out of touch.
Yes💙🇺🇸
Steven, thanks for the reminder that, as awful as we think we have it, our anguish is nothing compared to that of Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass and the countless and nameless others who endured the perversity and the cruelty of slavery. How can we give up, when they persisted in the face of the overwhelming odds against their very survival and that of their loved ones. We might ever witness such bravery.