Victor Pickard

@victorpickard.bsky.social

16K followers 1.3K following 620 posts

Professor who writes about the history and political economy of media, politics of media policy, and democratic theories of journalism. Author of "Democracy Without Journalism? Confronting the Misinformation Society." Co-director of the MIC Center at Penn. .. more

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Victor Pickard is an American media studies scholar. He is a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. He works on the intersections of U.S. and global media activism and politics; the history and political economy of media institutions; and the normative foundations of media policy. .. more

Communication & Media Studies 46%

Political science 18%

Posts Replies Media Videos

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Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · Apr 15

New piece in The Nation arguing that we need public media more now than ever. We must defend what we have with an eye toward expanding and restructuring public media in the future.

We Must Save Public Media to Change It

We need public media more than ever—it’s too precious to let Trump defund it. But to live up to its democratic promise, we must support public media to serve our needs.

www.thenation.com

Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 4d

It's a story of magical thinking in assuming we could ever rely on benevolent billionaires to save journalism. It's also a story of oligarchs turning their backs on democracy and exploiting their media assets to advance class interests. Above all, it's a tragedy for news workers and for all of us.

nitasha tiku @nitasha.bsky.social · 4d

My story on Elon Musk cutting safeguards at xAI is on the front page of today's @washingtonpost.com. I’m also among 100’s of reporters laid off. I absolutely loved my job my brilliant coworkers & the thrill of reporting @ the center of forces upending the world: AI & Silicon Valley’s political power

cover of The Washington Post on Wednesday Feb 4, 2026. Headline on bottom, right: Musk wanted to hook users; his chatbot got more sexual

Reposted by Victor Pickard, David Bartram, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 5d

There was (and remains) a real journalistic opening for a super-robust news operation that isn't doing false equivalence. That's what's needed in the Trump era. That could have been the Post. Except its owner doesn't want that. newrepublic.com/article/2061...

The Washington Post Is in Freefall—and There’s One Person to Blame

Today’s layoffs at this once-great newspaper were nowhere near inevitable. But Jeff Bezos was never committed to the paper’s best traditions.

newrepublic.com

Reposted by Colin F. Camerer, Victor Pickard, Nathan P. Kalmoe

max tani @maxtani.bsky.social · 5d

Speaking to WaPo employees, editor Matt Murray says cuts are about “positioning ourselves to become more essential to people's lives, and what is becoming a more crowded, competitive and complicated media landscape, and after some years when, candidly, the Post has had struggles to do that."

Reposted by Michael Kevane, Victor Pickard

Leah McElrath @leahmcelrath.bsky.social · 5d

WaPo also closing Books section and downsizing International and Metro sections

Michael Calderone & • 26m
Executive editor Matt Murray just announced a "strategic reset" and cuts in meeting with Washington Post staff going on now

Michael Calderone & • 20m
The Post will be closing sports "in its current form"

Michael Calderone • 17m
The Post is shrinking international, restructuring metro

Michael Calderone @ @mlcalderone
X.com
The Post is eliminating Books section
7:44 AM • 2/4/26 • 461 Views

Reposted by Victor Pickard

John Nichols @nicholsuprising.bsky.social · 6d

A DAY FOR GAZA

The Nation, as part of its ongoing commitment to cover Gaza, devotes its entire Feb. 3 website to writers, photographers, thinkers who are in or from Gaza.

“Collectively, the pieces embody an enduring affirmation of Gaza’s refusal, in the face of the world’s neglect, to be erased.”

A Day for Gaza

Today, The Nation is turning over its website exclusively to stories from Gaza and its people. This is why.

www.thenation.com

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Alexander Wuttke, Jonathan Hopkin , and 3 more Rosemary A. Joyce, Alexander Wuttke, Jonathan Hopkin, Victor Pickard, Patrick Stokes, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 6d

If you campaigned for the presidency on a promise to destroy these assholes, you would win a landslide the size of FDR in 1936, when he campaigned on a promise to destroy these assholes.

Citizen Snippy △ @citizensnippy.bsky.social · 6d

Yes, Peter decided that the continued existence of our democracies isn't compatible with his desired level of personal freedom.

An absolute enemy of humanity.

"I no longer believe that freedom and democracy are compatible."
- Peter Thiel

Reposted by Rosemary A. Joyce, Victor Pickard, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Citizen Snippy △ @citizensnippy.bsky.social · 6d

Yes, Peter decided that the continued existence of our democracies isn't compatible with his desired level of personal freedom.

An absolute enemy of humanity.

Reposted by Victor Pickard

Russ Walker @russwalker.bsky.social · 7d

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11) sues his hometown paper (my employer, LNP | LancasterOnline) for defamation, arguing an editorial that described his + other GOPers' arguments last fall that Dems wanted to fund health care for illegal immigrants were a "lie."
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

smucker-lawsuit-020226

www.documentcloud.org

Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 7d

This is the U Penn donor who helped push the President out, pushed to eliminate arts & science offerings, and drafted Trumps "compact" with universities.
People like Rowan repeatedly claimed the moral high ground to impose their agenda on students and faculty.

Tony Tassell @tonytassell.bsky.social · 7d

Top Apollo Global Management executives including chief Marc Rowan held wide-ranging discussions over the firm’s tax arrangements with Jeffrey Epstein throughout the 2010s www.ft.com/content/092d...

Apollo chief Marc Rowan consulted Epstein on firm’s tax affairs

New files reveal extensive talks between disgraced financier and key decision makers at US private capital firm

www.ft.com

Reposted by Victor Pickard, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 10d

"The Democrats are pushing reforms that they know won’t work because they are doing performative, perfunctory opposition to try to quiet their base, instead of real legislating and fighting to dismantle Trump’s ICE and CBP." newrepublic.com/article/2059...

Senate Democrats’ ICE Proposals Are a Huge and Inexcusable Whiff

Their opening bid should have been eight or 10 bold proposals. But as usual, the Democrats start by negotiating with themselves.

newrepublic.com

Reposted by David Murakami Wood, Victor Pickard, Nathan P. Kalmoe

Naomi Klein @naomiaklein.bsky.social · 10d

The billions to DHS have built the for-profit panopticon surveillance state they were unable to fully push through after 9/11 because people fought back.

It took 25 years but they have it now.

This cannot be reformed. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/30/t...

How ICE Already Knows Who Minneapolis Protesters Are

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Steve Peers, Smith, Victor Pickard , and 3 more Steve Peers, Smith, Victor Pickard, Stuart White, Kate Lowe, Melinda Baldwin

Ilhan Omar @ilhanmn.bsky.social · 10d

The arrests of Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lundy are unacceptable and a clear violation of the Constitution.

This is a dangerous abuse of power that threatens the rights of every single American.

They must be released immediately.

Reposted by Aurélien Mondon, Victor Pickard

Frank Bajak @fbajak.bsky.social · 10d

Don Lemon is one of two (Black) journalists arrested today for what Trump’s DOJ calls a crime: Covering a protest inside a Minnesota church whose pastor runs an ICE office.

It’s unclear as yet what charges they face but the message is clear. bsky.app/profile/thel...

apnews.com/article/don-...

Reposted by Victor Pickard

The Real News Network @therealnews.com · 10d

Well-known Gaza journalist Bisan Owda has been banned from TikTok, she says, just days after the finalization of the company’s sale to U.S. investors.

TikTok takes down Gaza journalist Bisan Owda’s account mere days after US deal

Owda’s account had 1.4 million followers, she said.

therealnews.com

Reposted by Victor Pickard

Karl Bode @karlbode.com · 10d

Elon Musk's Starlink wants to hoover up billions in taxpayer funded infrastructure bill broadband grants AND is telling states that they can't hold them accountable for slow speeds, high prices, or bungled installs

and because we are a corrupt joke of a country they'll likely get what they want

SpaceX sends list of demands to US states giving broadband grants to Starlink

SpaceX won't make specific promises on Starlink network capacity or subscribers.

arstechnica.com

Reposted by Brendan Nyhan, David H. Kaye, Victor Pickard , and 1 more Brendan Nyhan, David H. Kaye, Victor Pickard, Eric J. Segall

Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 10d

My New One @slate.com: "Trump’s Continued Obsession With 2020 Is a Joke. His Raid on a Georgia Election Site Is Not."
slate.com/news-and-pol...

Given the deep investigations of the 2020 elections generally and Fulton County, Georgia, in particular, it is highly unlikely that the new FBI investigation (whose warrant was curiously sought by a U.S. attorney in Missouri, not Georgia or even Washington, D.C.) will amount to anything. So what was it really about?

One tipoff is the curious appearance during the FBI raid of Fulton County’s election offices of Tulsi Gabbard, director of national intelligence, who is known to peddle conspiracy theories herself. Portraying this raid as part of a national security effort is in line with the musings of Cleta Mitchell, a Trump conspiracy-theory ally who had been on Trump’s call with Raffensperger. Back in September, Mitchell, on a call with fellow election deniers, suggested that Trump could declare a “national sovereignty crisis” in a bid to take over the midterm elections.

Trump has no power over the conduct of federal elections, which are left in the hands of the states, a point numerous courts have made recently in striking down parts of an August Trump executive order purporting to make voting harder. But that doesn’t mean he won’t try. Trump has expressed regret that he did not seize voting machines in 2020. So this threat for 2026 (and 2028) is real.

Reposted by Victor Pickard

Communication, Culture & Critique @ccc-journal.bsky.social · 11d

Check out @victorpickard.bsky.social's contribution to our forum on Left Democratic Futures, on the urgent need for post-capitalist media in a world where corporate media and big tech have clearly and spectacularly failed us.

academic.oup.com/ccc/article/...

Eroding the market’s hidden hand: toward a Post-Capitalist media system

Abstract. Media-related problems facing democratic societies around the world today often stem from various kinds of market failures and structural limitat

academic.oup.com

Reposted by Victor Pickard

Will Bunch @willbunch.bsky.social · 11d

I hate newsroom layoffs, but they did this to themselves

CBS News and Washington Post choose worst possible moment to lay off reporters, stress punditry - right as the streets of Minneapolis are showing how journalism can beat back government lies

My new column www.inquirer.com/opinion/cbs-...

CBS, Post blind themselves when America needs eyes on the ground |Will Bunch

Two iconic U.S. newsrooms slash reporting and stress opinion writing even as Minnesota proves the need for factual journalism.

www.inquirer.com

Reposted by McKenzie Wark, Victor Pickard, Daxton R. Stewart

Mia Sato @miasato.bsky.social · 11d

The violent occupation of Minneapolis started with a vlog. I've wanted to find a framework to describe Nick Shirley & others like him: "Influencer" is too quaint. "Journalist" is obviously wrong.

I landed on "slopagandist."

Gift link (open in a web browser) www.theverge.com/news/869824/...

What is Nick Shirley?

Slop doesn’t need to be AI-generated

www.theverge.com

Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 11d

I cannot tell you how much doubt was consistently directed at the Gaza Health Ministry’s casualty numbers and how much pressure was put on news organizations to couch those numbers as unreliable.

Biden himself said they were fabricated!

www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...

IDF accepts Gaza Health Ministry death toll of over 71,000 Palestinians killed in the war

Although Many International Experts Have Accepted the Health Ministry's Data as Reliable, and Even Conservative Relative to the True Death Toll, Israel Had Refused to Accept the Health Ministry's Coun...

www.haaretz.com

Reposted by Victor Pickard

The Media and Democracy Project @mediaanddemocracy.bsky.social · 11d

Should one of the TV-conglomerates that pressured Disney to take #JimmyKimmel off the air be allowed to get bigger & *more* powerful?

We think no!

We’re against the broadcast-industry merger of Nexstar-TEGNA.

See the letter to the FCC we’ve signed w/allies opposed to this merger. #NoNexstarMerger

January 27, 2026
Marlene H. Dortch
Secretary
Federal Communications Commission
45 L Street NE
Washington DC 20554
Re: Applications to Transfer Control of TEGNA Inc. to Nexstar Media Inc., MB Docket No.
25-331
Dear Chair Carr:
The undersigned consumer protection groups, antitrust groups, public interest organizations, labor unions, and civil rights organizations submit this letter to express our support for the Petition to Deny filed by Free Press, Communications Workers of America, United Church of Christ Media Justice Ministry, and Public Knowledge' opposing the proposed merger of Nexstar and TEGNA. The proposed transaction would cause incredibly high levels of concentration in local TV markets, would raise cable and satellite prices around the country, would cause irreparable harm to local news and consumers and would be contrary to the public interest.
I. The FCC does not have the authority to permit this merger: the proposed transaction would violate Congressionally mandated ownership limits.
Most important, as described in the Petition, the Commission does not have the authority to approve this merger. The proposed transaction violates the national TV audience reach limit of 39 percent set by Congress. Nexstar therefore may not acquire TEGNA's stations in any of the 17 local TV markets where Nexstar does not currently operate. Though Nexstar and TEGNA seek a waiver of this limit, the Commission is prohibited by law from waiving, altering, or eliminating this National Cap. The Commission should immediately deny that waiver request and deny the application in full.
II.
The proposed transaction would create incredibly high levels of concentration in local markets, cause higher costs for consumers, and is contrary to the public interest.
In addition to requesting waiver of the national cap, the Applicants also seek, in 23 local markets, waivers of the Local TV Multiple Ownership rule - which prohibits a single entity from owning more than two full-power TV stations…

and local TV news viewing audience. It would also be able to leverage its footprint to charge more in retransmission consent, the fees cable and satellite operators must pay to carry local TV stations, thus increasing cable and satellite subscription costs for everyday consumers. Because of the tremendous damage to consumers and anticompetitive harms across the country, the Commission should not grant these waivers and should deny the license transfer requests in all of the overlapping local TV markets.
III. The proposed transaction would cause irreparable harm to local news and
newsroom jobs.
Communities will be harmed by the loss of broadcast competition, diminished localism, and decreased viewpoint diversity, particularly via harm to local news. Local news is made by workers who already face a consolidated labor market with few employers. If the transaction is approved, Nexstar will cut jobs and further degrade workers' bargaining power while reducing the output and quality of original local news. There's no evidence to suggest that the creation of massive news- and broadcast-media cartels improves journalism or safeguards a free press. In fact, the opposite appears to be true. Recent analysis of the 35 largest media companies in the United States finds a pervasive pattern of editorial compromise and capitulation as owners of massive media conglomerates seek to curry favor with political leadership. The suspension of
"Jimmy Kimmel Live!" following Nexstar's announcement that it would preempt the show demonstrates the dangers of media capitulation and consolidated ownership. This merger will damage local TV news across the country at a time when the reliability, accuracy and independence of local TV news matters more than ever.
We urge the Commission to reject the proposed acquisition and uphold its obligation to promote competition, localism and diversity in the U.S. media. Allowing for even more media consolidation poses too great a risk to our democracy, and to…

Hispanic Federation
HTTP
Indivisible
Japanese American Citizens League
Local Independent Online News Publishers
MANA, A National Latina Organization
Media and Democracy Project
Multicultural Media Telecom & Internet Council
NAACP
National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)
National Council of Negro Women (NCNW)
National Hispanic Media Coalition
National Urban League
OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates
Public Citizen
SAG-AFTRA
Writers Guild of America East
Writers Guild of America West

Reposted by Anne Applebaum, Timothy Snyder, Stephen M. Walt , and 38 more Anne Applebaum, Timothy Snyder, Stephen M. Walt, Shannon Vallor, Elizabeth Saunders, Rebecca Solnit, Nandita Sharma, Jonathan A. Eisen, Tom Clark, John Horgan, Steve Peers, Mark D. White, David Rothschild, Peter Campbell, Bruce D. Baker, Joseph Schafer, Juan Cole, Paul Goldstein, Robert Black, Trevon D. Logan, Jonathan Hopkin, Laurent Pech, Janet Murray, Rebecca Tushnet, David R. Miller, Robert B. Reich, Juan Moreno‐Cruz, Michael D. McDonald, James Goodwin, Brian Keegan, David Rosnick, Michelle Williams, Victor Pickard, Ann Bartow, Carol J. Adams, Kevin Jon Heller, Olivier Mannoni, Magda Teter, Ezra Golberstein, Nathan P. Kalmoe, Colin Woodard

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 11d

Homan: "I begged for the last two months on TV for the rhetoric to stop. I said in March -- if the rhetoric doesn't stop, there is gonna be bloodshed. And there has been. I wish I wasn't right. I don't want to see anybody die."

Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 11d

Really looking forward to this timely discussion!

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law @sjquinney.bsky.social · 11d

Professor @randersenjones.bsky.social will discuss her book "The Future of Press Freedom" March 4 from 12-1 p.m. on Zoom with co-editor @sonjawest.bsky.social + contributors Helen Norton, Christina Koningisor, and @victorpickard.bsky.social.

www.law.utah.edu/event/facult...

Professor RonNell Andersen Jones and her book "The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law and the News in Changing Times"

Reposted by Victor Pickard

University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law @sjquinney.bsky.social · 11d

Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 12d

Indeed!

Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 12d

Cutting news, adding commentary. A familiar model that simultaneously cuts costs and maintains ideological parameters. www.npr.org/2026/01/27/n...

After rocky start, Bari Weiss plans cuts, adds commentators at CBS News

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss came in with a mandate to reshape coverage. She laid out her strategy in a staff meeting Tuesday.

www.npr.org

Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 13d

It's incredible to see a right-wing media narrative emerge that suggests Alex Pretti deserved to die because he didn't stay inside during ICE/Border Patrol operations. He was asking for it just for being there.

Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 13d

Excellent media analysis, as usual, from @sulliview.bsky.social. I recently became a paying subscriber to help support Margaret Sullivan's invaluable work and I encourage others to do the same! margaretsullivan.substack.com/p/defensive-...

Defensive caution can’t compete with right-wing propaganda

Is it so hard for journalists to clearly state that the Trump administration is lying?

margaretsullivan.substack.com

Reposted by Victor Pickard

Free Press @freepress.bsky.social · 13d

As the DHS continues to terrorize communities, the agency is busy buying more tools to surveil and target us.

This week, the Senate will vote on whether DHS deserves another $64 billion dollars to do it.

Here are some things to know from @ruddock.bsky.social as we call on Congress to DEFUND ICE:

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