Victor Pickard
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victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard
@victorpickard.bsky.social
15K followers 1.2K following 550 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%
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victorpickard.bsky.social
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

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 3d
I no longer vote in NY, but I wish I did just to vote against Stefanik.
markjacob.bsky.social Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 3d
So Elise Stefanik is running for NY governor. She abandoned every principle she claimed to have in exchange for a seat on the Trump train. Here’s a thread about Stefanik, who is a serial liar, an ally of a Hitler admirer, and an opponent of sharing baby formula with migrant infants. 🧵 1/10
Rep. Elise Stefanik launches run for New York governor
Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch Trump ally, is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul — a Democrat.
www.nbcnews.com

Reposted by Victor Pickard

asc.upenn.edu
Annenberg School at Penn @asc.upenn.edu · 3d
What happens to communities when there's no reliable local news? Who holds elected officials accountable? How do citizens stay informed? @victorpickard.bsky.social joined WHYY's "Studio 2" to discuss:
Mounting pressure on local news - WHYY
What happens to communities when there's no reliable local news? Who holds elected officials accountable? How do citizens stay informed?
whyy.org

Reposted by Victor Pickard

miccenter.bsky.social
The Media, Inequality & Change Center @miccenter.bsky.social · 3d
Attacks on press freedom are devastating newsrooms and leaving communities without reliable local news.

Join @freepress.bsky.social on 11/13 for a conversation with FCC Commissioner @agomezfcc.bsky.social about the barriers to free speech and local news NJ residents are facing.

buff.ly/3njhEfG
A Critical Crossroads for Free Speech and Local News
Local news and freedom of speech across the country are under threat. Due to federal funding cuts, NPR and PBS affiliates of all sizes have announced that they will need to lay off staff, reduce progr...
streamyard.com

Reposted by Anne Norton, Victor Pickard

ryanlcooper.com
ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 3d
I think we see once again how ordinary citizens are grappling better with this situation than sundry political and business elites. the jury pretty clearly was like "this is bullshit" www.lawfaremedia.org/article/sand...
Sandwich Guy, Thrower of Hoagie–Or Hero?
The trial ended in an acquittal. But the proceedings felt like a strange sort of performance art—highly amusing and highly menacing at the same time.
www.lawfaremedia.org

Reposted by Victor Pickard

markjacob.bsky.social
Mark Jacob @markjacob.bsky.social · 3d
So Elise Stefanik is running for NY governor. She abandoned every principle she claimed to have in exchange for a seat on the Trump train. Here’s a thread about Stefanik, who is a serial liar, an ally of a Hitler admirer, and an opponent of sharing baby formula with migrant infants. 🧵 1/10
Rep. Elise Stefanik launches run for New York governor
Stefanik, a Republican congresswoman and staunch Trump ally, is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul — a Democrat.
www.nbcnews.com

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Cathy N. Davidson, Smith , and 6 more

olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social · 3d
Nuremburg trials is the moderate position
lyndab08.bsky.social Lynda Lopez @lyndab08.bsky.social · 4d
He said that the agents would throw food at them to eat. The agents threatened to withhold food for a week and to beat him up if he didn't sign deportation papers. He said he saw others refuse and get beaten/receive no food. He signed because he was afraid.

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 5d
Another good one from @hamiltonnolan.bsky.social in @columjournreview.bsky.social. When it comes down to it, many of our leading national media orgs are simply status quo defenders.
Legacy papers have been weird and hostile toward Zohran Mamdani.
The New York City mayoral candidate promises radical change that editorial boards don’t want, even if voters do.
www.cjr.org

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 5d
Nothing to see here. Move along, keep shopping. Never mind the fascism...
walkerbragman.bsky.social Walker Bragman @walkerbragman.bsky.social · 5d
Papers like The New York Times increasingly sound ancient.

Like, look at this shit. Right on time as expected.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/o...
Opinion | Mamdani’s Victory Is Less Significant Than You Think
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Nicholas A. Christakis, A. E. Dessler , and 8 more

adambonica.bsky.social
Adam Bonica @adambonica.bsky.social · 5d
I’ll keep pushing this line of analysis because I’m increasingly convinced the clearest path out of this mess is for Dems to adopt a relentless anti-corruption, anti-inequality, anti-oligarchy, pro-democracy platform. The Dem leadership hasn’t realized it yet, but they’re now a reform party.

Reposted by Victor Pickard

walkerbragman.bsky.social
Walker Bragman @walkerbragman.bsky.social · 5d
Papers like The New York Times increasingly sound ancient.

Like, look at this shit. Right on time as expected.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/05/o...
Opinion | Mamdani’s Victory Is Less Significant Than You Think
www.nytimes.com

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 5d
A very good sign.
newrepublic.com The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 5d
New York City Mayor-elect Mamdani is kicking off with a big move: bringing former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan to co-chair his transition team.

It's a strong suggestion that he’s willing to take on powerful corporate interests as mayor. trib.al/99csETK
Mamdani Brings Lina Khan Onto His Team After Historic Election Win
Zohran Mamdani has named his transition team—and it’s amazing.
trib.al

Reposted by Bessma Momani, Victor Pickard

newrepublic.com
The New Republic @newrepublic.com · 5d
New York City Mayor-elect Mamdani is kicking off with a big move: bringing former Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan to co-chair his transition team.

It's a strong suggestion that he’s willing to take on powerful corporate interests as mayor. trib.al/99csETK
Mamdani Brings Lina Khan Onto His Team After Historic Election Win
Zohran Mamdani has named his transition team—and it’s amazing.
trib.al

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 6d
Best political news in a very, very long time.
nytimes.com The New York Times @nytimes.com · 6d
Breaking News: Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state lawmaker from Queens, will be the 111th mayor of New York. He will be the first Muslim to ever lead the city, as well as its first South Asian mayor and the youngest mayor in more than a century.
nyti.ms/47O4mT0

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 6d
He was a war criminal. And he shot an old man in the face.

Reposted by Victor Pickard

nytimes.com
The New York Times @nytimes.com · 6d
Breaking News: Zohran Mamdani, a 34-year-old state lawmaker from Queens, will be the 111th mayor of New York. He will be the first Muslim to ever lead the city, as well as its first South Asian mayor and the youngest mayor in more than a century.
nyti.ms/47O4mT0

Reposted by Jason Mittell, Rosemary A. Joyce, David R. Miller , and 3 more

attackerman.bsky.social
Spencer Ackerman @attackerman.bsky.social · 6d
All day, many of you have been asking for a Cheney obituary from me. Get ready:
His Works Completed, Dick Cheney, Mass Murderer of Iraqis and American Democracy, Dies
As much as the Trumpists claim to disavow the War on Terror, they walk a path paved by the most powerful vice president in U.S. history.
www.thenation.com

Reposted by Michael E. Mann, Joanna Bryson, Margaret Mitchell , and 21 more

leximcmenamin.com
Lex McMenamin (they/them) @leximcmenamin.com · 7d
thank you for all the support; the statement from our union is now live here with some more reporting.

now that this is public I can confirm that the majority of today’s layoffs were women of color. there are no longer any Black women working at Teen Vogue.

Reposted by Victor Pickard, David Darmofal

larryglickman.bsky.social
Larry Glickman @larryglickman.bsky.social · 8d
"Economic populism" has become completely divorced from policy. Vance cheered on and supported Trump's "big, beautiful bill," perhaps the most regressive piece of domestic legislation in recent history, featuring tax cuts for the rich and benefit cuts for the poor. He does say "elites" a lot tho.

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 9d
A late #caturday photo of Pumpkin. He was not amused.
A large orange cat lounging on his back, looking slightly perturbed.

Reposted by Victor Pickard

ryanlcooper.com
ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 10d
this is nuts. Republicans attempting to get rid of liberal state Supreme Court justices in PA are sending a mailer accusing them of drawing the gerrymandered map that REPUBLICANS THEMSELVES drew in 2011 www.spotlightpa.org/news/2025/09...
PA Supreme Court mailer uses misleading redistricting claims
The PAC behind the misleading mailer is part of a network connected to PA's richest person. The goal: convince voters to reject new terms for three PA Supreme Court justices.
www.spotlightpa.org

Reposted by Victor Pickard

ethanz.bsky.social
Ethan Zuckerman @ethanz.bsky.social · 10d
My latest column in Prospect: Don't worry about AI video destroying democracy. AI's destruction of the journalism business is a much more serious threat: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...
Chatbots and deepfakes are eroding our shared reality
With Trump et al using AI slop for political gain, fact-checking and civic journalism are more vital than ever
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

Reposted by Victor Pickard

annakornbluh.bsky.social
Anna Kornbluh @annakornbluh.bsky.social · 11d
"create “public media centers”—publicly-owned hubs in every community federally guaranteed but locally governed+democratically operated. establish new anchor institutions universally available to everyone—not unlike the ideal version of public schools+libraries."

publici.ucimc.org/2025/10/the-...
The Media We Need Requires Structural Transformation | Public i Contact
publici.ucimc.org

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 11d
In my current work, whenever I refer to the model of a "Public Media Center"--a multi-media, publicly-owned local news outlet--being established in every community across the country, I'm inspired by the actually-existing UCIMC. I describe some of this in the essay: publici.ucimc.org/2025/10/the-...
The Media We Need Requires Structural Transformation | Public i Contact
publici.ucimc.org

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 11d
The UCIMC is a thriving community media institution whose roots trace back to the global indymedia network emerging from the 1999 WTO protests and the broader Global Justice Movement. The UCIMC is housed in the beautiful downtown Urbana post office, which it purchased many years ago.
Picture of the downtown Urbana post office.

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 11d
Backstory to this article: When I was a grad student at the U of Illinois in the early 2000s, I would occasionally write pieces for the UCIMC's Public i, a collectively-run, monthly newspaper that's committed to providing critical news and analysis to the local community.

victorpickard.bsky.social
Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 11d
My recent essay published by the the Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center's (UCIMC) Public i. The UCIMC celebrated its 25th anniversary this past weekend: publici.ucimc.org/2025/10/the-...
The Media We Need Requires Structural Transformation | Public i Contact
publici.ucimc.org

Reposted by Victor Pickard

markhisted.org
Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 12d
As @deanbaker13.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social &others have noted, the same issue occurs for news&journalism—also a public good for a similar reason. Part of the collapse of US journalism is the internet broke up natural local ad monopolies, and consumers alone will never pick up the slack.

Reposted by Victor Pickard

markhisted.org
Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 12d
Someone asked me the other day*:

How do we replace all the science that’s being lost across the US as NIH, NSF etc are being lawlessly destroyed?

The answer is: we cannot. It is impossible.
The task now is to defend #NIH and public funding for medical research.
1/ 🧪 #neuroscience

Reposted by Gerry Canavan, John Collins, Victor Pickard

ocasio-cortez.house.gov
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez @ocasio-cortez.house.gov · 13d
The Trump administration has a rainy day fund that will keep SNAP from expiring in November. Trump is refusing to use it.

Funding SNAP isn't a choice he can make. It's a legal obligation. USDA must release the funds and stop punishing the American people.
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/28/u...
Dozens of States Sue Trump Administration Over Planned Food Stamp Cuts
www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Will Jennings, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 7 more

kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Kevin M. Kruse @kevinmkruse.bsky.social · 15d
Once again, the main day of Tea Party protests had about 300,000 nationwide, but saw endless coverage.

The No Kings protests had about 7,000,000 nationwide, and many media outlets reacted with a yawn.

No Kings was nearly 25x as big as the Tea Party but the Tea Party got 25x the attention.
thomaszimmer.bsky.social Thomas Zimmer @thomaszimmer.bsky.social · 15d
Ask yourself this: How would the New York Times have covered the protests if it had been seven million MAGA supporters flooding the streets? We don’t even have to guess: We know how they and other mainstream outlets covered the Tea Party protests during Obama’s first term.