Amid murky responses to COVID-19 from government and health officials, sociology expert Zeynep Tufekci has become a leading voice in building credible, helpful information around the pandemic — and, in particular, what we can expect as a nation. On Episode 25 of “The Future of Democracy,” we’ll talk with Tufekci, a sociology professor at UNC […]
The stresses and strains on US democracy, building over decades, have reached an apex with the upcoming presidential election in ways that are unprecedented and daunting. Real fears of voter suppression, unfounded suspicions of voter fraud, and the effects of disinformation hover over November 3, 2020. Genuine uncertainty characterizes what may follow. Will the results […]
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted American life in many ways and will certainly also impact the 2020 election. In fact, in order to socially distance and avoid unnecessary contact with others, record-shattering numbers of Americans may vote absentee. The specter of an election relying heavily on absentee voting has brought with it many misconceptions, myths […]
With November’s elections looming, and as fraught questions about “truth,” “fact,” and “accuracy” are debated, the Center for Brooklyn History and the Social Science Research Council turn to the role authenticity plays as it relates to trust in politicians and institutions. Does an aura of authenticity enable misinformation? Are lies more palatable when generated by an ‘authentic’ […]
Imagine living in a society in which most of the land and buildings available for meeting and working were owned by a few for-profit corporations. Churches, governments, groups of friends, schools, nonprofits, and grassroots social movements would each have to reserve space on — or have a key to — a privately-owned facility, often on […]
On Wednesday, October 28th at 6:00pm ET, join us for the 30th annual Theodore H. White Lecture on Press and Politics, delivered by Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post, with Shorenstein Center Director Nancy Gibbs moderating. As the 2020 election quickly approaches, are there similarities to 2016 or is this a continuation of an unprecedented cycle in political history? How has the […]
The 2016 US election made it clear that social media companies play a profound role in how voters are informed and influenced. What role should social media companies be playing in the upcoming US election? Join us for a timely and important discussion with two leading experts and YOUR questions in this highly-interaction livestream conversation. […]
The 2020 general election is unlike any other. Understanding how campuses can facilitate respectful and productive dialogue across political differences will be key during this tense time, but doing so virtually presents additional challenges. What can faculty, administrators, and staff do now to prepare for the difficult dialogues that lie ahead? Join Jonathan Friedman, director […]
Journalists and pundits have described political polarization as one of the foremost problems of our time. It has been ascribed to trends such as changing party compositions, racial and ethnic divisions, and the rise of partisan cable news. This seminar will present new research on social media and political polarization in both the United States […]
In this talk, I explain what happens when human rights advocates try to change computer code, instead of legal code to protect human rights online. There is a growing chorus of policymakers and regulators calling on the tech sector to respect human rights and engage civil society, but very little empirical knowledge of what happens […]