Presenters: Eric Leake (Texas State University), Sean Rose (Texas State University), Cooper Day (University of Louisville), and Kate Howard (Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting) This was an excellent panel, addressing media literacy and civic responsibility and giving ample ideas about “fake news,” source evaluation, and political bias in the classroom. As post-truth rhetoric, false stories like “Pizza Gate,” and attacks on the press have amplified media literacy’s importance, this panel proved especially helpful. Eric Leake, “The Multiple Lives of News Stories” After a brief introduction, panel chair Eric Leake delivered his presentation, “The Multiple Lives of News Stories,” based on…
Author: Dawn Opel
Brett Keegan
Dawn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Writing, Rhetoric, and American Cultures at Michigan State University. She researches the design of communication in clinical settings, with emphasis on design and use of information technology. Find her on Twitter @dawnopel.
Though I’ve been teaching students about filter bubbles for a few years now, the topic has gained visibility after the election. SNL had its skit poking fun at “The Bubble” of progressives escaping the election’s reality, and The Wall Street Journal’s Red Feed, Blue Feed simulates the polarization of our political spectrum through model feeds. Pariser’s term-coining book came out almost six years ago, but in the current political climate, filter bubbles warrant renewed attention. In this post, then, I want to describe how I’ve started discussing filter bubbles after the election, focusing on a particular activity from my research…