Would-be inventors had it rough in the past centuries; even if they came up with ideas for revolutionary technologies, they didn’t have the technology necessary to make them a reality. Take the threshing machine, a piece of farm machinery that vastly improves farming efficiency. It had been conceptualised in the 1600s at the latest, but it only became widespread in the mid-1800s because of a combination of lack of skill, manufacturers, advertisements, funding, and distribution methods up until that point. 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