The Media, Inequality & Change Center
@miccenter.bsky.social
The Media, Inequality & Change Center explores the intersections between media, democracy, technology, policy, and social justice.
Pinned
Local news plays a vital role in helping people stay safe, healthy, and connected to their communities.
@theine.bsky.social and Carlotta Verita look at how well Philly’s local news media keep residents informed about the issues that matter most in this new report: buff.ly/jJO22o8
@theine.bsky.social and Carlotta Verita look at how well Philly’s local news media keep residents informed about the issues that matter most in this new report: buff.ly/jJO22o8
A new report from MIC Co-Director @victorpickard.bsky.social
as well as @shahrzadshams.bsky.social and @bilalb.bsky.social maps the political economy behind today’s media crisis and asks the urgent question:
What would a media system designed to strengthen democracy actually look like?
as well as @shahrzadshams.bsky.social and @bilalb.bsky.social maps the political economy behind today’s media crisis and asks the urgent question:
What would a media system designed to strengthen democracy actually look like?
The Political Economy of the US Media System: Excavating the Roots of the Present Crisis - Roosevelt Institute
Bilal Baydoun, Shahrzad Shams, and Victor Pickard trace the roots of the US media crisis to decades of deregulation and commercial capture, outlining how consolidation, news deserts, and platform domi...
rooseveltinstitute.org
December 4, 2025 at 2:32 PM
A new report from MIC Co-Director @victorpickard.bsky.social
as well as @shahrzadshams.bsky.social and @bilalb.bsky.social maps the political economy behind today’s media crisis and asks the urgent question:
What would a media system designed to strengthen democracy actually look like?
as well as @shahrzadshams.bsky.social and @bilalb.bsky.social maps the political economy behind today’s media crisis and asks the urgent question:
What would a media system designed to strengthen democracy actually look like?
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
How do you center hope in your research, activism and media work?
Join our annual symposium in two weeks to imagine new possibilities for media research and practice at this time of profound upheaval.
Keynote: music educator, André de Quadros
Register: bit.ly/beyondendurance @asc.upenn.edu
Join our annual symposium in two weeks to imagine new possibilities for media research and practice at this time of profound upheaval.
Keynote: music educator, André de Quadros
Register: bit.ly/beyondendurance @asc.upenn.edu
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
How do you center hope in your research, activism and media work?
Join our annual symposium in two weeks to imagine new possibilities for media research and practice at this time of profound upheaval.
Keynote: music educator, André de Quadros
Register: bit.ly/beyondendurance @asc.upenn.edu
Join our annual symposium in two weeks to imagine new possibilities for media research and practice at this time of profound upheaval.
Keynote: music educator, André de Quadros
Register: bit.ly/beyondendurance @asc.upenn.edu
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
There is hope, and we must use it! Join us at our annual symposium next month to envision new possibilities for media research and practice at this time of profound upheaval. Register here: bit.ly/beyondendurance @asc.upenn.edu
November 13, 2025 at 4:05 PM
There is hope, and we must use it! Join us at our annual symposium next month to envision new possibilities for media research and practice at this time of profound upheaval. Register here: bit.ly/beyondendurance @asc.upenn.edu
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
Was thrilled to help consult for this fantastic John Oliver segment on the tragic plight of U.S. public media and why, if we hope to be a democracy, we still need public media for so many things that commercial media will never provide. Deserves a wide viewership. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yknM...
Public Media: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
YouTube video by LastWeekTonight
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Was thrilled to help consult for this fantastic John Oliver segment on the tragic plight of U.S. public media and why, if we hope to be a democracy, we still need public media for so many things that commercial media will never provide. Deserves a wide viewership. www.youtube.com/watch?v=yknM...
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
🎉 Excited to share that Content Confusion publishes today! It dives into how news orgs & advertisers—including fossil fuels—blur journalism & ads, fueling disinfo & distrust. Available now! Use code MITP30 today for 30% off at MIT Press. Thanks for the support! 🙏
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255360...
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255360...
Content Confusion
We often blame social media for the rampant problem of disinformation, but mainstream news media is also at fault. Not only do news outlets disguise paid con...
mitpress.mit.edu
November 18, 2025 at 12:51 PM
🎉 Excited to share that Content Confusion publishes today! It dives into how news orgs & advertisers—including fossil fuels—blur journalism & ads, fueling disinfo & distrust. Available now! Use code MITP30 today for 30% off at MIT Press. Thanks for the support! 🙏
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255360...
mitpress.mit.edu/978026255360...
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
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
November 7, 2025 at 4:45 PM
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
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
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
By changing the way gun violence is covered, reporters can take an active role in minimizing harm to injured people, communities, and society—and even make an important contribution toward preventing gun violence.
Five years of work. One concise guide. Free to view and download now. – Philadelphia Center for Gun Violence Reporting
www.pcgvr.org
October 21, 2025 at 12:07 PM
By changing the way gun violence is covered, reporters can take an active role in minimizing harm to injured people, communities, and society—and even make an important contribution toward preventing gun violence.
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
🚨 New article out, great colab w/ @davidberman.bsky.social, assessing the primary U.S. response to the digital divide: the corporate subsidy. Using mixed methods, we show how networked "digital equity" reinforces network monopoly. @miccenter.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2BPFG...
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2BPFG...
October 6, 2025 at 1:15 PM
🚨 New article out, great colab w/ @davidberman.bsky.social, assessing the primary U.S. response to the digital divide: the corporate subsidy. Using mixed methods, we show how networked "digital equity" reinforces network monopoly. @miccenter.bsky.social
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2BPFG...
www.tandfonline.com/eprint/2BPFG...
Local news plays a vital role in helping people stay safe, healthy, and connected to their communities.
@theine.bsky.social and Carlotta Verita look at how well Philly’s local news media keep residents informed about the issues that matter most in this new report: buff.ly/jJO22o8
@theine.bsky.social and Carlotta Verita look at how well Philly’s local news media keep residents informed about the issues that matter most in this new report: buff.ly/jJO22o8
October 3, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Local news plays a vital role in helping people stay safe, healthy, and connected to their communities.
@theine.bsky.social and Carlotta Verita look at how well Philly’s local news media keep residents informed about the issues that matter most in this new report: buff.ly/jJO22o8
@theine.bsky.social and Carlotta Verita look at how well Philly’s local news media keep residents informed about the issues that matter most in this new report: buff.ly/jJO22o8
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
Talked to Jim Rutenberg at the NYT about whether there were any historical precedents in the U.S. for Trump's frontal assault on our media, especially this kind of FCC intervention focused on silencing dissent, directly violating free speech, etc. Could think of none: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/b...
Trump Administration Wields Its Full Toolbox to Bring Media to Heel
www.nytimes.com
September 19, 2025 at 2:56 AM
Talked to Jim Rutenberg at the NYT about whether there were any historical precedents in the U.S. for Trump's frontal assault on our media, especially this kind of FCC intervention focused on silencing dissent, directly violating free speech, etc. Could think of none: www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/b...
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
If there was ever a time for bold new public infrastructure to support local news and informed communities, this is it.
This is too important to miss.
Join us w/ @reprabb.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social @abigailhiggins.bsky.social @mikerispoli.bsky.social next week.
RSVP: bit.ly/fpabbsoc9
This is too important to miss.
Join us w/ @reprabb.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social @abigailhiggins.bsky.social @mikerispoli.bsky.social next week.
RSVP: bit.ly/fpabbsoc9
September 4, 2025 at 7:28 PM
If there was ever a time for bold new public infrastructure to support local news and informed communities, this is it.
This is too important to miss.
Join us w/ @reprabb.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social @abigailhiggins.bsky.social @mikerispoli.bsky.social next week.
RSVP: bit.ly/fpabbsoc9
This is too important to miss.
Join us w/ @reprabb.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social @abigailhiggins.bsky.social @mikerispoli.bsky.social next week.
RSVP: bit.ly/fpabbsoc9
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
American journalism has serious problems. But how did we get here? @bzelizer.bsky.social’s new book 📚 How the Cold War Broke the News📚 uncovers the surprising roots of journalism’s decline and offers a plan to make it better. Pre-order now: bit.ly/4mqcr68
August 20, 2025 at 5:29 PM
American journalism has serious problems. But how did we get here? @bzelizer.bsky.social’s new book 📚 How the Cold War Broke the News📚 uncovers the surprising roots of journalism’s decline and offers a plan to make it better. Pre-order now: bit.ly/4mqcr68
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
"Big media conglomerates would rather cave to the president than stand up for their constitutional rights." -- Free Press' @timkarr.bsky.social
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-nbc-abc-licenses
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-nbc-abc-licenses
August 26, 2025 at 2:03 PM
"Big media conglomerates would rather cave to the president than stand up for their constitutional rights." -- Free Press' @timkarr.bsky.social
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-nbc-abc-licenses
https://www.commondreams.org/news/trump-nbc-abc-licenses
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
Last week, the House voted to cut roughly $535 million a year in federal funding for PBS, NPR and local stations nationwide. We asked Annenberg experts to explain how this sweeping move could reshape the landscape of public broadcasting:
Public Media Cuts: Annenberg Answers
Experts comment on Congress’s elimination of $535 million a year in federal funding for PBS, NPR, and local stations across the country.
www.asc.upenn.edu
July 25, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Last week, the House voted to cut roughly $535 million a year in federal funding for PBS, NPR and local stations nationwide. We asked Annenberg experts to explain how this sweeping move could reshape the landscape of public broadcasting:
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
Really enjoyed this conversation about the structural media reform that we need with the wonderful Janine Jackson for @fairmediawatch.bsky.social's CounterSpin: fair.org/home/iman-ab...
Iman Abid on the Economy of Genocide, Victor Pickard on Paramount Settlement
The UN's Albanese has long opposed Israel’s genocide of Palestinians—but what broke US warmongers was her naming corporations profiting from that genocide.
fair.org
July 18, 2025 at 7:27 PM
Really enjoyed this conversation about the structural media reform that we need with the wonderful Janine Jackson for @fairmediawatch.bsky.social's CounterSpin: fair.org/home/iman-ab...
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
Sharing my latest pub, "News Inside: What Mainstream Journalism Can Learn From the Radical Humanism of Prison Journalism." Particularly proud b/c incarcerated/formerly incarcerated folks can teach us a lot about democracy & media. A pleasure to collaborate w/ @lizhallgren.bsky.social on this:
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
July 22, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Sharing my latest pub, "News Inside: What Mainstream Journalism Can Learn From the Radical Humanism of Prison Journalism." Particularly proud b/c incarcerated/formerly incarcerated folks can teach us a lot about democracy & media. A pleasure to collaborate w/ @lizhallgren.bsky.social on this:
What viable pathways exist for building equitable, publicly accountable AI systems in the face of entrenched corporate and state power?
"Is Another AI Possible?" by @anismedia.bsky.social addresses this question and explores alternatives focused on public interest.
Read here: buff.ly/vLo5vLt
"Is Another AI Possible?" by @anismedia.bsky.social addresses this question and explores alternatives focused on public interest.
Read here: buff.ly/vLo5vLt
The Media, Inequality, and Change Center Publishes “Is Another AI Possible? Platforms, Political Economies, and Alternatives”
www.asc.upenn.edu
July 16, 2025 at 1:52 PM
What viable pathways exist for building equitable, publicly accountable AI systems in the face of entrenched corporate and state power?
"Is Another AI Possible?" by @anismedia.bsky.social addresses this question and explores alternatives focused on public interest.
Read here: buff.ly/vLo5vLt
"Is Another AI Possible?" by @anismedia.bsky.social addresses this question and explores alternatives focused on public interest.
Read here: buff.ly/vLo5vLt
"In the face of government strong-arming, profit-seeking media organizations predictably sacrifice their journalistic principles rather than jeopardize their commercial interests."
Read @victorpickard.bsky.social's newest article on the implications of Paramount's settlement with Trump:
Read @victorpickard.bsky.social's newest article on the implications of Paramount's settlement with Trump:
The Media’s Profits Trump Democracy, Once Again
Paramount’s settlement with Trump is a symptom of deep structural rot in our corporate media system.
www.thenation.com
July 9, 2025 at 1:12 PM
"In the face of government strong-arming, profit-seeking media organizations predictably sacrifice their journalistic principles rather than jeopardize their commercial interests."
Read @victorpickard.bsky.social's newest article on the implications of Paramount's settlement with Trump:
Read @victorpickard.bsky.social's newest article on the implications of Paramount's settlement with Trump:
At 4:15pm today at UDC:
Make sure to catch "The Dialectic of Broadband" presented by @sydneyforde.bsky.social in Cherry Parkes 105.
Make sure to catch "The Dialectic of Broadband" presented by @sydneyforde.bsky.social in Cherry Parkes 105.
June 21, 2025 at 10:45 PM
At 4:15pm today at UDC:
Make sure to catch "The Dialectic of Broadband" presented by @sydneyforde.bsky.social in Cherry Parkes 105.
Make sure to catch "The Dialectic of Broadband" presented by @sydneyforde.bsky.social in Cherry Parkes 105.
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
Great discussion today at @uniondemcomm.bsky.social about the future of nonprofit journalism and whether it preserves old forms or leads to new democratic relationships in local communities. @miccenter.bsky.social @davidberman.bsky.social
June 21, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Great discussion today at @uniondemcomm.bsky.social about the future of nonprofit journalism and whether it preserves old forms or leads to new democratic relationships in local communities. @miccenter.bsky.social @davidberman.bsky.social
Today at 9:30am at UDC:
@davidberman.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social and Aaron Hyzen will present "Between Restoration and Transformation in Pennsylvania’s Nonprofit News Ecosystem" in Cherry Parkes 106.
@davidberman.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social and Aaron Hyzen will present "Between Restoration and Transformation in Pennsylvania’s Nonprofit News Ecosystem" in Cherry Parkes 106.
June 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Today at 9:30am at UDC:
@davidberman.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social and Aaron Hyzen will present "Between Restoration and Transformation in Pennsylvania’s Nonprofit News Ecosystem" in Cherry Parkes 106.
@davidberman.bsky.social @victorpickard.bsky.social and Aaron Hyzen will present "Between Restoration and Transformation in Pennsylvania’s Nonprofit News Ecosystem" in Cherry Parkes 106.
2:30pm today at UDC, catch these presentations in Cherry Parkes 105:
First, Aaron Hyzen presents "Capture and Corruption: how the AI industry can be dominated by a narrow elite"
First, Aaron Hyzen presents "Capture and Corruption: how the AI industry can be dominated by a narrow elite"
June 20, 2025 at 9:01 PM
2:30pm today at UDC, catch these presentations in Cherry Parkes 105:
First, Aaron Hyzen presents "Capture and Corruption: how the AI industry can be dominated by a narrow elite"
First, Aaron Hyzen presents "Capture and Corruption: how the AI industry can be dominated by a narrow elite"
Today at @uniondemcomm.bsky.social's 2025 conference at 9:30am:
@sydneyforde.bsky.social @abbysimmerman.bsky.social @christopherali.bsky.social present "The Voldemort of Broadband Policy: The discursive dismissal of 'rate regulation'" in Cherry Parkes 106.
@sydneyforde.bsky.social @abbysimmerman.bsky.social @christopherali.bsky.social present "The Voldemort of Broadband Policy: The discursive dismissal of 'rate regulation'" in Cherry Parkes 106.
June 20, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Today at @uniondemcomm.bsky.social's 2025 conference at 9:30am:
@sydneyforde.bsky.social @abbysimmerman.bsky.social @christopherali.bsky.social present "The Voldemort of Broadband Policy: The discursive dismissal of 'rate regulation'" in Cherry Parkes 106.
@sydneyforde.bsky.social @abbysimmerman.bsky.social @christopherali.bsky.social present "The Voldemort of Broadband Policy: The discursive dismissal of 'rate regulation'" in Cherry Parkes 106.
Reposted by The Media, Inequality & Change Center
For decades, scholars at the Annenberg School for Communication have been researching not just misinformation but also what it means to be a citizen, to be able to participate in free elections, and to experience the privileges of our constitution.
Why Annenberg Matters: In Service of an Informed Democracy
YouTube video by Annenberg School for Communication
youtu.be
June 16, 2025 at 8:34 PM
For decades, scholars at the Annenberg School for Communication have been researching not just misinformation but also what it means to be a citizen, to be able to participate in free elections, and to experience the privileges of our constitution.