#XC420 Im curious as to how long propaganda will be used as a political tactic, will we ever grow out of it and become critical enough to deflect it? Or will we still be ragebaiting as a means to generating an audience hundreds of years in the future
February 4, 2026 at 5:49 PM
#XC420 Im curious as to how long propaganda will be used as a political tactic, will we ever grow out of it and become critical enough to deflect it? Or will we still be ragebaiting as a means to generating an audience hundreds of years in the future
My question is: Is "Media Literacy" even possible when the business model of the internet is "Enrage, Suppress, Divide"?. Are we actually capable of vetting information when the algorithm knows we would rather be angry than be right? #XC420
January 28, 2026 at 6:38 PM
My question is: Is "Media Literacy" even possible when the business model of the internet is "Enrage, Suppress, Divide"?. Are we actually capable of vetting information when the algorithm knows we would rather be angry than be right? #XC420
I am curious about how people can be "media literate" and stay informed when 90% of mass media is controlled by a handful of corporations.
How can the Joe Sixpacks and the Plain Janes of society distinguish what the actual truth is or what the corporate elites want them to believe? #XC420
How can the Joe Sixpacks and the Plain Janes of society distinguish what the actual truth is or what the corporate elites want them to believe? #XC420
January 27, 2026 at 4:16 PM
I am curious about how people can be "media literate" and stay informed when 90% of mass media is controlled by a handful of corporations.
How can the Joe Sixpacks and the Plain Janes of society distinguish what the actual truth is or what the corporate elites want them to believe? #XC420
How can the Joe Sixpacks and the Plain Janes of society distinguish what the actual truth is or what the corporate elites want them to believe? #XC420
First day teaching #XC420 "Information Literacy in an Era of Content Confusion." Looking forward to a great semester @bostonu.bsky.social!
Excited to teach "Information Literacy in an Era of Content Confusion" this spring with Rob Martinelle at @bostonu.bsky.social! Learn to spot misinformation 🔍 & create impactful media 🌟. BU undergrads, there’s still time to enroll: www.bu.edu/xcc/courses-...
#XC420 #ContentConfusion
#XC420 #ContentConfusion
January 21, 2026 at 6:54 PM
First day teaching #XC420 "Information Literacy in an Era of Content Confusion." Looking forward to a great semester @bostonu.bsky.social!
And with this, I think that I can see that we bristle at the idea of propaganda because it shows up in places where it doesn't belong. We want emotion in art; we don't want it creeping into how we inform ourselves and learn things about the world. #XC420
February 7, 2026 at 6:37 AM
And with this, I think that I can see that we bristle at the idea of propaganda because it shows up in places where it doesn't belong. We want emotion in art; we don't want it creeping into how we inform ourselves and learn things about the world. #XC420
I've been thinking about the possibility of "good" propaganda, and I realized: shouldn't political art fit the bill? I'd say that a film like Casablanca spends a whole lot of time making the emotional case for the war effort. #xc420
February 7, 2026 at 6:37 AM
I've been thinking about the possibility of "good" propaganda, and I realized: shouldn't political art fit the bill? I'd say that a film like Casablanca spends a whole lot of time making the emotional case for the war effort. #xc420
Excited to teach "Information Literacy in an Era of Content Confusion" this spring with Rob Martinelle at @bostonu.bsky.social! Learn to spot misinformation 🔍 & create impactful media 🌟. BU undergrads, there’s still time to enroll: www.bu.edu/xcc/courses-...
#XC420 #ContentConfusion
#XC420 #ContentConfusion
January 3, 2026 at 4:59 PM
Excited to teach "Information Literacy in an Era of Content Confusion" this spring with Rob Martinelle at @bostonu.bsky.social! Learn to spot misinformation 🔍 & create impactful media 🌟. BU undergrads, there’s still time to enroll: www.bu.edu/xcc/courses-...
#XC420 #ContentConfusion
#XC420 #ContentConfusion
It has seeped into how a US broadcaster is covering the Olympics…
#XC420
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
#XC420
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
NBC appears to cut crowd’s booing of JD Vance from Winter Olympics broadcast
The US vice-president, JD Vance, was greeted by a chorus of boos during when he appeared at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday
www.theguardian.com
February 7, 2026 at 1:14 PM
It has seeped into how a US broadcaster is covering the Olympics…
#XC420
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
#XC420
www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
There's a part of me that wants to think about propaganda as something similar to financial scams--younger generations are generally a lot harder to scam, and require more sophisticated methods to trick. But I don't know if us "kids these days" are as resilient as I might hope. #XC420
February 9, 2026 at 3:49 AM
There's a part of me that wants to think about propaganda as something similar to financial scams--younger generations are generally a lot harder to scam, and require more sophisticated methods to trick. But I don't know if us "kids these days" are as resilient as I might hope. #XC420
Misinformation really feels like a demand-side problem to me, which worries me because I really can't think of any practical solution to solve a demand-side problem. #XC420
January 28, 2026 at 12:49 AM
Misinformation really feels like a demand-side problem to me, which worries me because I really can't think of any practical solution to solve a demand-side problem. #XC420
February 1, 2026 at 9:54 PM
Join us for a screening of Good Night & Good Luck (2005)
When: Fri, Jan 23 • 2:30 PM
Where: COM B05
Stay for a post-film discussion with @comatbu.bsky.social experts.
A timely reminder of journalism’s duty to hold power to account amid political attacks and misinfo. All BU community welcome. #XC420
When: Fri, Jan 23 • 2:30 PM
Where: COM B05
Stay for a post-film discussion with @comatbu.bsky.social experts.
A timely reminder of journalism’s duty to hold power to account amid political attacks and misinfo. All BU community welcome. #XC420
January 22, 2026 at 4:47 PM
Join us for a screening of Good Night & Good Luck (2005)
When: Fri, Jan 23 • 2:30 PM
Where: COM B05
Stay for a post-film discussion with @comatbu.bsky.social experts.
A timely reminder of journalism’s duty to hold power to account amid political attacks and misinfo. All BU community welcome. #XC420
When: Fri, Jan 23 • 2:30 PM
Where: COM B05
Stay for a post-film discussion with @comatbu.bsky.social experts.
A timely reminder of journalism’s duty to hold power to account amid political attacks and misinfo. All BU community welcome. #XC420
This is probably a hot take on my part, but I really don't see any better way to support quality journalism than the patronage model. The only other two options that people can articulate are messing with ad markets (doesn't work) or public subsidies (opens up the Orban problem). #XC420
January 28, 2026 at 12:46 AM
This is probably a hot take on my part, but I really don't see any better way to support quality journalism than the patronage model. The only other two options that people can articulate are messing with ad markets (doesn't work) or public subsidies (opens up the Orban problem). #XC420
It is tough for the average person to tell whether content online has been modified. Thanks to AI, deepfakes of individuals have been used to spread disinformation and have been used by our enemies to sow disorder in our communities. #XC420
January 28, 2026 at 4:44 AM
It is tough for the average person to tell whether content online has been modified. Thanks to AI, deepfakes of individuals have been used to spread disinformation and have been used by our enemies to sow disorder in our communities. #XC420
As I ponder on our discussions from last week, I’m wondering if someone can be media literate in one context (let’s say social media) and media illiterate in another (ex. AI-generated material)? How can media literacy adapt with complexity? #xc420
January 28, 2026 at 2:24 AM
As I ponder on our discussions from last week, I’m wondering if someone can be media literate in one context (let’s say social media) and media illiterate in another (ex. AI-generated material)? How can media literacy adapt with complexity? #xc420
It’s pretty funny how effective Name-calling is as a propaganda tactic in 2026. I wonder where the feeling of empowerment comes from #XC420
February 7, 2026 at 2:12 AM
It’s pretty funny how effective Name-calling is as a propaganda tactic in 2026. I wonder where the feeling of empowerment comes from #XC420
Here's someone else, from @shorensteinctr.bsky.social, who's asking a similar question: shorensteincenter.org/resource/ret...
#XC420
#XC420
Rethinking Public Media, Together - The Shorenstein Center
shorensteincenter.org
January 30, 2026 at 7:08 PM
Here's someone else, from @shorensteinctr.bsky.social, who's asking a similar question: shorensteincenter.org/resource/ret...
#XC420
#XC420
Honestly, I'd say that deepfakes have played a much smaller role in American politics than I was expecting them to back in 2022 or so. #XC420
February 2, 2026 at 3:25 AM
Honestly, I'd say that deepfakes have played a much smaller role in American politics than I was expecting them to back in 2022 or so. #XC420
Interesting Idea! I wonder if it'd be more effective to rework the model of the internet or if on us as people to discern right info from wrong- where does the true solution lie? #XC420
February 4, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Interesting Idea! I wonder if it'd be more effective to rework the model of the internet or if on us as people to discern right info from wrong- where does the true solution lie? #XC420
Good point, if the truth is constantly altered, interpreted differently or even falsified how can we expect those lacking media literacy to tell the difference? Is there any hope for them on their own or do we need to build a better internet for them.
#XC420
#XC420
February 4, 2026 at 5:52 PM
Good point, if the truth is constantly altered, interpreted differently or even falsified how can we expect those lacking media literacy to tell the difference? Is there any hope for them on their own or do we need to build a better internet for them.
#XC420
#XC420
Reading up on the summaries of fascist propaganda, I'm left with the impression that there are no special techniques that fascists tend to use, but rather general campaign techniques that all political actors use. #XC420
February 2, 2026 at 3:24 AM
Reading up on the summaries of fascist propaganda, I'm left with the impression that there are no special techniques that fascists tend to use, but rather general campaign techniques that all political actors use. #XC420
I agree with you. Some people can distinguish between fake and real content on social media. However, the use of AI-generated material seems real which seems true and is easy to believe. #XC420
January 28, 2026 at 4:48 AM
I agree with you. Some people can distinguish between fake and real content on social media. However, the use of AI-generated material seems real which seems true and is easy to believe. #XC420
What do you mean by "patronage?" @victorpickard.bsky.social agrees that market-based models are dead ends but offers some alternative ideas here: lpeproject.org/blog/taking-... #XC420
Taking Media Out of the Market
The recent spate of job losses in journalism make evident the need for systemic alternatives to commercial media. Tweaking market mechanisms and scrambling for new business models is futile when the…
lpeproject.org
January 29, 2026 at 2:33 AM
What do you mean by "patronage?" @victorpickard.bsky.social agrees that market-based models are dead ends but offers some alternative ideas here: lpeproject.org/blog/taking-... #XC420