Michael Socolow
@michaelsocolow.bsky.social
Communication & Journalism, University of Maine.
2019 Fulbright Scholar, University of Canberra.
Posts speak only for myself, not my employer
https://cmj.umaine.edu/faculty-staff/michael-j-socolow/
2019 Fulbright Scholar, University of Canberra.
Posts speak only for myself, not my employer
https://cmj.umaine.edu/faculty-staff/michael-j-socolow/
Just a few hours later, World War I ended. Here’s how it ended for him (from his autobiography, titled, "Now That You Mention It" (1973)) (11/11)
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Just a few hours later, World War I ended. Here’s how it ended for him (from his autobiography, titled, "Now That You Mention It" (1973)) (11/11)
But it was a dud. The German artillery shell didn’t explode. He and the other Marines survived. (10/11)
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
But it was a dud. The German artillery shell didn’t explode. He and the other Marines survived. (10/11)
Months of combat ensued. Until November 10, 1918, when rumors of an armistice were followed by delivery of hot & delicious meals. Everyone was happy until an officer ordered them to load up – they were attacking the Germans at dawn (7/11)
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Months of combat ensued. Until November 10, 1918, when rumors of an armistice were followed by delivery of hot & delicious meals. Everyone was happy until an officer ordered them to load up – they were attacking the Germans at dawn (7/11)
He entered Belleau Wood with a company of over 200 men. Here @nytimes.com (“A First-Class War,” 8 June 1958) describes the ordeal. He made sergeant for being 1 of 11 Marines in his unit to survive the battle (6/11)
November 11, 2025 at 3:05 PM
He entered Belleau Wood with a company of over 200 men. Here @nytimes.com (“A First-Class War,” 8 June 1958) describes the ordeal. He made sergeant for being 1 of 11 Marines in his unit to survive the battle (6/11)
Rep. Jared Golden's career arc in 15 months, in two Bangor Daily News Op-eds.
I wonder if he regrets his Op-ed saying "Democracy will be just fine" if Donald Trump won the 2024 election?
He's apparently quitting now because democracy isn't "just fine" (polarization, violence).
I wonder if he regrets his Op-ed saying "Democracy will be just fine" if Donald Trump won the 2024 election?
He's apparently quitting now because democracy isn't "just fine" (polarization, violence).
November 5, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Rep. Jared Golden's career arc in 15 months, in two Bangor Daily News Op-eds.
I wonder if he regrets his Op-ed saying "Democracy will be just fine" if Donald Trump won the 2024 election?
He's apparently quitting now because democracy isn't "just fine" (polarization, violence).
I wonder if he regrets his Op-ed saying "Democracy will be just fine" if Donald Trump won the 2024 election?
He's apparently quitting now because democracy isn't "just fine" (polarization, violence).
The Smoking Gun website never disappoints.
"Dick Cheney's Backstage Rider" includes:
"All Televisions tuned to FOX news"
[also, hilariously: "Extra soaps" - like all of us, Cheney liked to pocket a few for back home?]
www.thesmokinggun.com/backstage/po...
"Dick Cheney's Backstage Rider" includes:
"All Televisions tuned to FOX news"
[also, hilariously: "Extra soaps" - like all of us, Cheney liked to pocket a few for back home?]
www.thesmokinggun.com/backstage/po...
November 4, 2025 at 3:37 PM
The Smoking Gun website never disappoints.
"Dick Cheney's Backstage Rider" includes:
"All Televisions tuned to FOX news"
[also, hilariously: "Extra soaps" - like all of us, Cheney liked to pocket a few for back home?]
www.thesmokinggun.com/backstage/po...
"Dick Cheney's Backstage Rider" includes:
"All Televisions tuned to FOX news"
[also, hilariously: "Extra soaps" - like all of us, Cheney liked to pocket a few for back home?]
www.thesmokinggun.com/backstage/po...
If you're on campus at UMaine in Orono today, stick around for @nytimes.com sports writer Ken Belson who'll be talking about his new book "Every Day Is Sunday" in Neville Hall 101 at 5:30 p.m.
Looking forward to it!
Looking forward to it!
October 21, 2025 at 5:43 PM
If you're on campus at UMaine in Orono today, stick around for @nytimes.com sports writer Ken Belson who'll be talking about his new book "Every Day Is Sunday" in Neville Hall 101 at 5:30 p.m.
Looking forward to it!
Looking forward to it!
I don't understand this (from Bangor Daily News):
If she'll be 79 years old on her first day in the Senate, how can she guarantee she'll live to be 85 years old?
If she'll be 79 years old on her first day in the Senate, how can she guarantee she'll live to be 85 years old?
October 15, 2025 at 1:44 PM
I don't understand this (from Bangor Daily News):
If she'll be 79 years old on her first day in the Senate, how can she guarantee she'll live to be 85 years old?
If she'll be 79 years old on her first day in the Senate, how can she guarantee she'll live to be 85 years old?
"An 'inside story' of how a baby-carriage factory works would be dull and of no interest. But an inside story of a baby-carriage factory that is actually making machine-guns on the sly-that’s more like it."
Ken magazine:"New Journalism" pioneer in 1930s
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/ken-the-19...
Ken magazine:"New Journalism" pioneer in 1930s
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/ken-the-19...
October 12, 2025 at 2:11 PM
"An 'inside story' of how a baby-carriage factory works would be dull and of no interest. But an inside story of a baby-carriage factory that is actually making machine-guns on the sly-that’s more like it."
Ken magazine:"New Journalism" pioneer in 1930s
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/ken-the-19...
Ken magazine:"New Journalism" pioneer in 1930s
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/ken-the-19...
Catnip for the Curious: @ourworldindata.org isn't exactly a secret, but, like Reddit's Data Is Beautiful, it's filled with fascinating infographics & information about trends in our contemporary world.
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/our-world-...
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/our-world-...
October 5, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Catnip for the Curious: @ourworldindata.org isn't exactly a secret, but, like Reddit's Data Is Beautiful, it's filled with fascinating infographics & information about trends in our contemporary world.
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/our-world-...
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/our-world-...
Cool story: The Seattle Seahawks helmet logo comes from a mask of the Kwakwaka’wakw people of British Columbia.
But it resides in a museum at the University of Maine.
umaine.edu/news/blog/20...
But it resides in a museum at the University of Maine.
umaine.edu/news/blog/20...
October 3, 2025 at 11:32 PM
Cool story: The Seattle Seahawks helmet logo comes from a mask of the Kwakwaka’wakw people of British Columbia.
But it resides in a museum at the University of Maine.
umaine.edu/news/blog/20...
But it resides in a museum at the University of Maine.
umaine.edu/news/blog/20...
RIP Jane Goodall, who could take a joke:
"In the aftermath, Goodall reached out to Larson, and the two became friends; Larson even licensed the cartoon to the Institute to produce a t-shirt that was then used to raise funds."
screenrant.com/far-side-con...
"In the aftermath, Goodall reached out to Larson, and the two became friends; Larson even licensed the cartoon to the Institute to produce a t-shirt that was then used to raise funds."
screenrant.com/far-side-con...
October 1, 2025 at 7:13 PM
RIP Jane Goodall, who could take a joke:
"In the aftermath, Goodall reached out to Larson, and the two became friends; Larson even licensed the cartoon to the Institute to produce a t-shirt that was then used to raise funds."
screenrant.com/far-side-con...
"In the aftermath, Goodall reached out to Larson, and the two became friends; Larson even licensed the cartoon to the Institute to produce a t-shirt that was then used to raise funds."
screenrant.com/far-side-con...
Link rot's bad.
But with enshitified search, you might find even your old published stuff can't be easily located anymore.
AI's making this much worse.
How I discovered some of my past publications are being hidden by AI.
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/is-ai-hidi...
But with enshitified search, you might find even your old published stuff can't be easily located anymore.
AI's making this much worse.
How I discovered some of my past publications are being hidden by AI.
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/is-ai-hidi...
September 24, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Link rot's bad.
But with enshitified search, you might find even your old published stuff can't be easily located anymore.
AI's making this much worse.
How I discovered some of my past publications are being hidden by AI.
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/is-ai-hidi...
But with enshitified search, you might find even your old published stuff can't be easily located anymore.
AI's making this much worse.
How I discovered some of my past publications are being hidden by AI.
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/is-ai-hidi...
The @mediaburn.bsky.social Archive is an extraordinary primary source resource, filled with "Lost Objects" from video history that are fascinating, funny, and thought-provoking.
If you've never kicked around it, go check it out.
The latest in the Lint Trap.
open.substack.com/pub/linttrap...
If you've never kicked around it, go check it out.
The latest in the Lint Trap.
open.substack.com/pub/linttrap...
![Image of a shirtless Pittsburgh Steeler football player Lynn Swann wearing a baseball cap, with the text: "Historic [Chicago] Video Digitized: The MediaBurn Archive. The Media Burn Archive, out of Chicago, has digitized and made available some very interesting (and historic) video."](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:t2qjroh4ptd34vkxjf4haqy3/bafkreigrc26ipimookb5q54qo2srfsbz5z5l3kddznq5sfj4pj6hj2z4oe@jpeg)
September 21, 2025 at 4:51 PM
The @mediaburn.bsky.social Archive is an extraordinary primary source resource, filled with "Lost Objects" from video history that are fascinating, funny, and thought-provoking.
If you've never kicked around it, go check it out.
The latest in the Lint Trap.
open.substack.com/pub/linttrap...
If you've never kicked around it, go check it out.
The latest in the Lint Trap.
open.substack.com/pub/linttrap...
It wasn't in Project 2025.
In fact, it's a direct repudiation of Project 2025 FCC chapter's mission statement and values as articulated by... Brendan Carr.
"The FCC should promote freedom of speech... [and] pro-growth reforms that support a diversity of viewpoints." (p.845).
He's a hypocrite, too.
In fact, it's a direct repudiation of Project 2025 FCC chapter's mission statement and values as articulated by... Brendan Carr.
"The FCC should promote freedom of speech... [and] pro-growth reforms that support a diversity of viewpoints." (p.845).
He's a hypocrite, too.
September 18, 2025 at 5:27 PM
It wasn't in Project 2025.
In fact, it's a direct repudiation of Project 2025 FCC chapter's mission statement and values as articulated by... Brendan Carr.
"The FCC should promote freedom of speech... [and] pro-growth reforms that support a diversity of viewpoints." (p.845).
He's a hypocrite, too.
In fact, it's a direct repudiation of Project 2025 FCC chapter's mission statement and values as articulated by... Brendan Carr.
"The FCC should promote freedom of speech... [and] pro-growth reforms that support a diversity of viewpoints." (p.845).
He's a hypocrite, too.
Years ago Howard Stern exposed the arbitrary & pretextual nature of FCC enforcement.
When the FCC fined him millions he urged listeners to send in complaints about Oprah to see if FCC treated all local complaints equally.
Guess what? They didn't.
What FCC's doing now is a dodge.
When the FCC fined him millions he urged listeners to send in complaints about Oprah to see if FCC treated all local complaints equally.
Guess what? They didn't.
What FCC's doing now is a dodge.
September 18, 2025 at 1:44 PM
Years ago Howard Stern exposed the arbitrary & pretextual nature of FCC enforcement.
When the FCC fined him millions he urged listeners to send in complaints about Oprah to see if FCC treated all local complaints equally.
Guess what? They didn't.
What FCC's doing now is a dodge.
When the FCC fined him millions he urged listeners to send in complaints about Oprah to see if FCC treated all local complaints equally.
Guess what? They didn't.
What FCC's doing now is a dodge.
In Project 2025, Brendan Carr [current the FCC Chairman] wrote "The FCC should promote freedom of speech... [and] pro-growth reforms that support a diversity of viewpoints." (p.877).
September 18, 2025 at 3:59 AM
In Project 2025, Brendan Carr [current the FCC Chairman] wrote "The FCC should promote freedom of speech... [and] pro-growth reforms that support a diversity of viewpoints." (p.877).
AI data scraping is causing major problems for digital archives.
Many publishers of cool historical material (free for the public), like @hagleycenter.bsky.social, are being hit w/ bot swarms akin to denial of service attacks.
Latest in The Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/when-ai-da...
Many publishers of cool historical material (free for the public), like @hagleycenter.bsky.social, are being hit w/ bot swarms akin to denial of service attacks.
Latest in The Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/when-ai-da...
September 14, 2025 at 2:53 PM
AI data scraping is causing major problems for digital archives.
Many publishers of cool historical material (free for the public), like @hagleycenter.bsky.social, are being hit w/ bot swarms akin to denial of service attacks.
Latest in The Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/when-ai-da...
Many publishers of cool historical material (free for the public), like @hagleycenter.bsky.social, are being hit w/ bot swarms akin to denial of service attacks.
Latest in The Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/when-ai-da...
I'm old.
Back in the 20th century, when huge historic events occurred, everyone went out that afternoon or next morning and purchased historic newspapers to save.
That's what I did 24 years ago.
The other newspapers I found in a box in my father's closet after he died.
Back in the 20th century, when huge historic events occurred, everyone went out that afternoon or next morning and purchased historic newspapers to save.
That's what I did 24 years ago.
The other newspapers I found in a box in my father's closet after he died.
September 12, 2025 at 12:59 AM
I'm old.
Back in the 20th century, when huge historic events occurred, everyone went out that afternoon or next morning and purchased historic newspapers to save.
That's what I did 24 years ago.
The other newspapers I found in a box in my father's closet after he died.
Back in the 20th century, when huge historic events occurred, everyone went out that afternoon or next morning and purchased historic newspapers to save.
That's what I did 24 years ago.
The other newspapers I found in a box in my father's closet after he died.
The amount of nutpicking regularly occurring in the wake of every horrific event has gotten out of hand, and it seems like something that could be easily algorithmically throttled.
But the business model of social media is amplifying, not dampening, outrage.
A truly perverse incentive.
But the business model of social media is amplifying, not dampening, outrage.
A truly perverse incentive.
September 11, 2025 at 3:52 PM
The amount of nutpicking regularly occurring in the wake of every horrific event has gotten out of hand, and it seems like something that could be easily algorithmically throttled.
But the business model of social media is amplifying, not dampening, outrage.
A truly perverse incentive.
But the business model of social media is amplifying, not dampening, outrage.
A truly perverse incentive.
"I remember thinking at the time: How will the future remember the largest mass death event in U.S. history? So I decided to try to launch a memory project. I named it 'Maine Remembers the Coronavirus.'"
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/maine-reme...
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/maine-reme...
September 10, 2025 at 12:57 PM
"I remember thinking at the time: How will the future remember the largest mass death event in U.S. history? So I decided to try to launch a memory project. I named it 'Maine Remembers the Coronavirus.'"
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/maine-reme...
The Latest in the Lint Trap
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/maine-reme...
There's a great book about how & why MTV moved out of the music television business:
"Millenials Killed the Video Star: MTV's Transition to Reality Programming" by @amandaannklein.bsky.social
Highly recommended, even if a Gen X'er like myself finds the devolution depressing.
"Millenials Killed the Video Star: MTV's Transition to Reality Programming" by @amandaannklein.bsky.social
Highly recommended, even if a Gen X'er like myself finds the devolution depressing.
September 8, 2025 at 12:47 AM
There's a great book about how & why MTV moved out of the music television business:
"Millenials Killed the Video Star: MTV's Transition to Reality Programming" by @amandaannklein.bsky.social
Highly recommended, even if a Gen X'er like myself finds the devolution depressing.
"Millenials Killed the Video Star: MTV's Transition to Reality Programming" by @amandaannklein.bsky.social
Highly recommended, even if a Gen X'er like myself finds the devolution depressing.
"Always remember: If you're alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who's going to know?"
-Julia Child, Chef (2001)
A legendary magazine feature: @esquiremag.bsky.social's "What I've Learned"
Latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/esquires-l...
-Julia Child, Chef (2001)
A legendary magazine feature: @esquiremag.bsky.social's "What I've Learned"
Latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/esquires-l...
September 7, 2025 at 1:55 PM
"Always remember: If you're alone in the kitchen and you drop the lamb, you can always just pick it up. Who's going to know?"
-Julia Child, Chef (2001)
A legendary magazine feature: @esquiremag.bsky.social's "What I've Learned"
Latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/esquires-l...
-Julia Child, Chef (2001)
A legendary magazine feature: @esquiremag.bsky.social's "What I've Learned"
Latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/esquires-l...
If you're a journalist, author or scholar: Be aware.
AI has begun actively hiding your past, published work - even if it appeared on the web & is in the Wayback Machine.
One example. I asked Google Gemini to find an Op-ed I wrote for Boston Globe in 2004 - it couldn't.
AI has begun actively hiding your past, published work - even if it appeared on the web & is in the Wayback Machine.
One example. I asked Google Gemini to find an Op-ed I wrote for Boston Globe in 2004 - it couldn't.
September 4, 2025 at 3:08 PM
If you're a journalist, author or scholar: Be aware.
AI has begun actively hiding your past, published work - even if it appeared on the web & is in the Wayback Machine.
One example. I asked Google Gemini to find an Op-ed I wrote for Boston Globe in 2004 - it couldn't.
AI has begun actively hiding your past, published work - even if it appeared on the web & is in the Wayback Machine.
One example. I asked Google Gemini to find an Op-ed I wrote for Boston Globe in 2004 - it couldn't.
On October 26, 1960, CBS aired a special primetime program, produced by CBS News (in conjunction with MIT) titled, "The Thinking Machine."
It introduced the public to a dynamic new technology: "Artificial Intelligence."
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-thinki...
It introduced the public to a dynamic new technology: "Artificial Intelligence."
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-thinki...
September 3, 2025 at 2:03 PM
On October 26, 1960, CBS aired a special primetime program, produced by CBS News (in conjunction with MIT) titled, "The Thinking Machine."
It introduced the public to a dynamic new technology: "Artificial Intelligence."
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-thinki...
It introduced the public to a dynamic new technology: "Artificial Intelligence."
The latest in the Lint Trap.
linttrapofhistory.substack.com/p/the-thinki...