The introduction of Facebook’s Like and Share and Twitter’s Retweet feature between 2009 and the early 2010s became the dart guns by which extremists silenced moderates. The outrage-inducing posts of political extremists were promoted because people shared emotionally charged content. The vitriol that members of the far right and the far left exude in their thought-policing seemed more visible, discouraging nuanced thinkers from speaking up. By shooting down their more thoughtful members, extremists created a political system hostile to compromise. Read full article here
Research
Improving media literacy could boost trust towards the news, IMPRESS report suggests
The UK media is regulated by the likes of IPSO and Ofcom. The report by press regulator IMPRESS highlights the link between low levels of media literacy and trust in the news. The study found that three quarters of those who did not know if journalists were regulated did not trust the news. It suggests that improving media literacy is one way to stem the erosion of trust, and shows that audiences have an appetite for information on news processes. Stakeholders need to collaborate in order to rebuild trust in the news, and independent media is well placed to do this. Read full article here
Merv
February 1, 2023
