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Victor Pickard

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Victor Pickard is an American media studies scholar. He is a professor at the Annenberg School for Communication at the… more

H-index: 27
Communication & Media Studies 46%
Political science 18%
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Reposted by Victor Pickard

saschameinrath.bsky.social
Billing transparency be damned! When we partnered with Consumer Reports to collect and analyze *actual* broadband bills we found that made-up fees could add upwards of 30% to people's bills.
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by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
Classic essay. I often assign it in my classes.
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by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
Very cool -- hope we see more of this!
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by Victor Pickard — Reposted by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
The uprisings in Portland are truly terrifying.
thedailyshow.com
The Daily Show @thedailyshow.com · 6d
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
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Reposted by Victor Pickard, Anne Applebaum, Joanna Bryson , and 44 more

thedailyshow.com
The following is REAL footage from Portland, 2025. Viewer discretion is advised.
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by Victor Pickard — Reposted by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
This reads almost like an Onion article. @saschameinrath.bsky.social @christopherali.bsky.social @davidberman.bsky.social @sydneyforde.bsky.social @ppopiel.bsky.social
ISPs created so many fees that FCC will kill requirement to list them all
ISPs complained about Biden-era rule, said listing every fee was too hard.
arstechnica.com
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Reposted by Victor Pickard

danielchomsky.bsky.social
Florida Republicans show their commitment to intellectual freedom by demanding that every university honor the founder of an organization devoted to blocking intellectual freedom on university campuses.
www.tallahassee.com/story/news/l...
Bill would make Florida colleges, universities name streets after Charlie Kirk
A new bill would make all of Florida's public state universities and colleges rename one roadway on their campuses after Charlie Kirk.
www.tallahassee.com
2 2

Reposted by Victor Pickard, Rosemary A. Joyce, Jane E. Fountain , and 5 more

karlbode.com
you'd think a prominent news outlet like the New York Times might mention that "antifa" isn't an actual organization in a long story about antifa, but nope!

and the subhead helps props up a false claim this professor was up to something seedy as something up for debate
NYT headline: "Rutgers Expert on Antifa Tries to Flee to Spain After Death Threats" subheadline: "Mark Bray was teaching courses on antifascism. Turning Point USA accused him of belonging to antifa, which he denies. His flight to Spain was canceled abruptly on Wednesday night."
490 2.8K 11K

by Mark Bray — Reposted by Victor Pickard, Nandita Sharma, Julie L. Lockwood , and 19 more

mark-bray.bsky.social
“Someone” cancelled my family’s flight out of the country at the last second.

We got our boarding passes. We checked our bags. Went through security. Then at our gate our reservation ‘disappeared.’
250 1.9K 6.6K

Reposted by Victor Pickard, Anne Applebaum, Brendan Nyhan , and 10 more

paleofuture.bsky.social
"Antifa has been around in various iterations for almost 100 years in some instances, going back to the Weimar Republic in Germany."

- Jack Posobiec at Trump's roundtable on antifa
190 230 1.1K

Reposted by Victor Pickard, Richard S.J. Tol, Norbert Schwarz , and 16 more

atrupar.com
Trump: "I don't know what could be worse than Portland. You don't even have stores anymore. They don't even put glass up. They put plywood on their windows."
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Reposted by Victor Pickard, Anna O. Law, Jan W. Mueller , and 6 more

sivav.bsky.social
The “compact” for higher ed is an unserious document written by unserious people from a position of spectacular ignorance. No one should take it seriously. Sadly, my bosses are taking it seriously.

newrepublic.com/article/2013...
Why This Essay Could Cause the University of Virginia to Shut Down
How Linda McMahon’s latest “compact” would do deep and permanent harm to American higher education
newrepublic.com
9 190 560

Reposted by Victor Pickard, Scott A. Imberman, Pepper D. Culpepper , and 1 more

karlbode.com
twice a year the entire U.S. press becomes a marketing extension of a single billionaire-owned retailer, and nobody in any position of editorial power thinks it's weird or gross
photo of Google News search results for Amazon Prime Day (the second this year)
200 2.8K 8.9K

Reposted by Victor Pickard, Anna O. Law, Rosemary A. Joyce , and 3 more

jamellebouie.net
thank you brett kavanaugh!
dlknowles.bsky.social
Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 8d
Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.

Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...
Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children
Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.
southsideweekly.com
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by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
Rick was an excellent journalist and super smart analyst of the news industry. RIP.
dankennedy.net
Dan Kennedy @dankennedy.net · 9d
Very sorry to learn that Rick Edmonds of @poynterinstitute.bsky.social has died. Rick's incisive analysis of the business side of journalism has been of great value to many of us in our own work over the years. (Last item.) www.poynter.org/commentary/2...
Today is MSNBC’s first day apart from NBC. Here is its new code of principles. - Poynter
The new network’s 10 core principles emphasize fairness, accuracy, transparency and firm limits on AI
www.poynter.org
5

by Victor Pickard — Reposted by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
Important new research into the contradictions of US broadband policy by two leading political economists.
ppopiel.bsky.social
Pawel Popiel @ppopiel.bsky.social · 9d
🚨 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...
ABSTRACT This study examines the political economy, discursive legitimations, and effectiveness of the primary U.S. policy response to narrowing the digital divide: public subsidies for internet service. Using Philadelphia as our case study, we analyze municipal efforts to enroll low-income communities in low-cost commercial broadband plans supported by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Like many other U.S. cities in the neoliberal era, Philadelphia sought to organize its digital equity initiative as a decentralized network of public agencies, commercial broadband providers, and nonprofits. Drawing on expert interviews, focus groups with ACP-eligible subscribers, and policy documents, we find that despite the city’s goal of achieving universal service, the networked initiative ultimately advanced the economic interests and market position of Comcast, the city’s monopoly broadband provider – with only minimal gains in connectivity. We argue that the evolving relationship between Comcast and the city of Philadelphia exemplifies what we refer to as the dialectic of the network. While often assumed as opposing forms of economic and social organization, the monopoly – centralized, vertically organized, hierarchical – and the network – decentralized, horizontal, leaderless – actively reinforce and legitimize one another as part of the neoliberal conquest of America’s communication infrastructure.
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Reposted by Victor Pickard

ppopiel.bsky.social
🚨 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...
ABSTRACT This study examines the political economy, discursive legitimations, and effectiveness of the primary U.S. policy response to narrowing the digital divide: public subsidies for internet service. Using Philadelphia as our case study, we analyze municipal efforts to enroll low-income communities in low-cost commercial broadband plans supported by the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). Like many other U.S. cities in the neoliberal era, Philadelphia sought to organize its digital equity initiative as a decentralized network of public agencies, commercial broadband providers, and nonprofits. Drawing on expert interviews, focus groups with ACP-eligible subscribers, and policy documents, we find that despite the city’s goal of achieving universal service, the networked initiative ultimately advanced the economic interests and market position of Comcast, the city’s monopoly broadband provider – with only minimal gains in connectivity. We argue that the evolving relationship between Comcast and the city of Philadelphia exemplifies what we refer to as the dialectic of the network. While often assumed as opposing forms of economic and social organization, the monopoly – centralized, vertically organized, hierarchical – and the network – decentralized, horizontal, leaderless – actively reinforce and legitimize one another as part of the neoliberal conquest of America’s communication infrastructure.
1 2 10

Reposted by Victor Pickard

dankennedy.net
Very sorry to learn that Rick Edmonds of @poynterinstitute.bsky.social has died. Rick's incisive analysis of the business side of journalism has been of great value to many of us in our own work over the years. (Last item.) www.poynter.org/commentary/2...
Today is MSNBC’s first day apart from NBC. Here is its new code of principles. - Poynter
The new network’s 10 core principles emphasize fairness, accuracy, transparency and firm limits on AI
www.poynter.org
4 7

Reposted by Victor Pickard

miccenter.bsky.social
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
Informing Philadelphia: Strengths and Gaps in Local Media's Coverage of Critical Information Needs Title in white text on red backdrop next to an image of the Philadelphia skyline.
3 5

by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
We must hold the line against this extortion. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...
Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion
www.nytimes.com
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by Victor Pickard — Reposted by Victor Pickard, Anna O. Law

victorpickard.bsky.social
This conversation was very good and well worth watching:
www.youtube.com/live/RB1FLkR... @aaup-penn.bsky.social @aaup.org @chenjerai.bsky.social @proftwolf.bsky.social
Breaking Down Trump's New Higher Ed Loyalty Oath Compacts and Why We Must Resist
YouTube video by TheAAUP
www.youtube.com
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by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
These are dark times and we must hold fast against this bullshit. Solidarity!
aaup.org
AAUP @aaup.org · 13d
The Trump admin’s offer to give preferential treatment to institutions that toe the party line reeks of bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda.

This is corruption.

Adherence to ‘loyalty oaths’ would usher in a new era of thought policing in American higher education.
Universities Must Reject Trump Admin 'Loyalty Oath' Compacts
The AAUP and AFT warn that the Trump administration’s offer to give preferential treatment to colleges and universities that court government favor in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological...
www.aaup.org
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Reposted by Victor Pickard, Michael Jones‐Correa

veenadubal.bsky.social
“This is extortion, plain and simple.

It is not hyperbole to say that the future of higher education.. requires that every university reject it…The only solution is solidarity and collective action against this effort at federal control over higher education.”

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/o...
Opinion | Trump’s ‘Compact’ With Universities Is Just Extortion
www.nytimes.com
2 66 160

Reposted by Victor Pickard, David Lazer, Scott L. Greer , and 9 more

aaup.org
The Trump admin’s offer to give preferential treatment to institutions that toe the party line reeks of bribery in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological agenda.

This is corruption.

Adherence to ‘loyalty oaths’ would usher in a new era of thought policing in American higher education.
Universities Must Reject Trump Admin 'Loyalty Oath' Compacts
The AAUP and AFT warn that the Trump administration’s offer to give preferential treatment to colleges and universities that court government favor in exchange for allegiance to a partisan ideological...
www.aaup.org
3 260 470

by Ryan Enos — Reposted by Victor Pickard, Anna O. Law, Efrén O. Pérez , and 2 more

ryanenos.bsky.social
Loyalty oaths for universities. The thing of the Third Reich. www.nytimes.com/2025/10/02/u...
Trump Administration Asks Colleges to Sign ‘Compact’ to Get Funding Preference
www.nytimes.com
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Reposted by Victor Pickard, Brian Keegan, Blair Fix , and 1 more

noupside.bsky.social
Let's be clear a what's happening here: the "censorship" and "bias" narrative is being extended to Wikipedia bc the far right knows that getting bullshit into LLMs is how to shape reality as "answer engines" replace search engines.

Wikipedia is core to that fight so the grievance blitz is here.
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Reposted by Victor Pickard, Brian Weatherson

eli.aadl.org
We are thrilled to announce that @aadl.org plans to acquire the Ann Arbor Observer!

Public ownership of local news media is more important than ever, and this acquisition builds on years of partnership and archival work to ensure the future of this priceless community asset.

aadl.org/node/647334
The Ann Arbor District Library Plans to Acquire the Ann Arbor Observer | Ann Arbor District Library
aadl.org
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by Victor Pickard

victorpickard.bsky.social
Important new @miccenter.bsky.social research by @theine.bsky.social & Dr. Carlotta Verita that examines local media's coverage of Critical Information Needs in Philadelphia: www.asc.upenn.edu/research/cen...
Publications
www.asc.upenn.edu
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Reposted by Victor Pickard

econaturalist.bsky.social
Can we just have healthcare?
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by Victor Pickard — Reposted by Victor Pickard, Aurélien Mondon, Nathan P. Kalmoe

victorpickard.bsky.social
The ongoing consolidation of our media infrastructure by a handful of right-wing oligarchs poses a profound threat to any hope for democracy in the U.S. Read this piece by @sulliview.bsky.social:
The TikTok deal puts even more media in the hands of the super-rich | Margaret Sullivan
Trump is clearing the way for US investors to control a wildly popular platform where millions get their news
www.theguardian.com
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