Oolon Calluphid
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calluphid.bsky.social
Oolon Calluphid
@calluphid.bsky.social
I do not spook easily and those who think I do are wasting their time with their suprise attacks.

Stone me, what a life.

It kills me to think, I'm no longer living just looking for excuses to drink.
Reposted by Oolon Calluphid
A single shared source of truth is essential for a functioning democracy.

Without it you’re left with fragmentation, polarisation and a perpetual culture war where the discourse focuses on what divides us rather than what we have in common.

My column from last week: www.ft.com/content/5060...
Why American-style polarisation is spreading across the west
New research shows how incentives in the modern media ecosystem help explain rising division and negativity
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Reposted by Oolon Calluphid
A study earlier this month found that America’s more fragmented media landscape — particularly the takeoff of cable news — accounts for fully one third of the increase in cultural conflict in the US since the year 2000.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Reposted by Oolon Calluphid
In other words, US politicians and pressure groups can pipe the party line directly into millions of households unchallenged, in a way that is much harder in the UK.

This has a huge impact both on trust and cohesion, and on whether politicians feel the need to appeal to moderates or just partisans.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Reposted by Oolon Calluphid
Here’s the same data, but with trust broken down by political views (circles are trust among people on the left, +s the right).

It’s not just that the BBC is widely consumed — it also has solid trust on both left & right, whereas trust in the biggest US media brands is hugely polarised.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
This may be of interest "exposure to uncritical interviews increases agreement with extreme statements and perceptions of broader support in the population"

www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Media Platforming and the Normalisation of Extreme Right Views | British Journal of Political Science | Cambridge Core
Media Platforming and the Normalisation of Extreme Right Views - Volume 55
www.cambridge.org
October 7, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Might be of interest (apologies if not) - bsky.app/profile/robf...
This paper illustrates why it matters much more if Robert Jenrick says something intolerant than if Nigel Farage says the same thing - centre right politicians have much more influence on social norms policing tolerant behaviour than radical right politicians
NEW -

How Mainstream Politicians Erode Norms - cup.org/4lfeHvD

"we find that statements by mainstream politicians lead to more norm erosion than similar statements by radical-right politicians"

- @valentimvicente.bsky.social, Elias Dinas & @dziblatt.bsky.social

#OpenAccess
October 7, 2025 at 7:55 AM