Colin Rhinesmith

Digital Equity Ecosystems by Colin Rhinesmith - Paper Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.

Excited to share that my book, "Digital Equity Ecosystems: How Community Coalitions Reduce Inequality and Strengthen Democracy" is available for pre-order! Use promo code: UCPSAVE30 at checkout. www.ucpress.edu/books/digita...

THE @agomezfcc.bsky.social cited the work I did with the amazing @crhinesmith.bsky.social and Madison Bishop on affordability in her statement on Lifeline and Link Up reform!

I'm humbled and honored every time I see that my work has real policy implications!

docs.fcc.gov/public/attac...

Speaker Johnson denies request for Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at the Capitol The Republican-led House said Jesse Jackson cannot lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol. The NAACP criticized the decision.

House Speaker Mike Johnson denied a request for the late Jesse Jackson to lie in honor at the U.S. Capitol.

“Mike Johnson will defend a president who wants to unlawfully nationalize elections but won’t authorize a civil rights legend to lie in honor,” said NAACP President Derrick Johnson.

I will be giving my first book talk on Wednesday, Feb 18th at 11am (EST) at the Quello Center at Michigan State University. Here is the link to the event on the Quello Center’s website: quello.msu.edu/event/digita...

Image: Carrying the Work Without Carrying the Weight Presenter Photo: Leah T. Dudak Tuesday, February 10 11:50am - 12:20pm CST Illustration of a clover leaf Sustaining Wellbeing Facilitated Conversation Sponsor: Library of Congress: Federal Credit Union Proudly Serving America’s Library Community Secure Your Spot Now! Recharging in Challenging Times An ALA Virtual Event Feb. 10, 2026 FOR OUR LIBRARIES. American Library Association

Image: Reclaiming Balance: Countering the Six Root Causes of Burnout Presenter Photo: Bobbi L. Newman Tuesday, February 10 1:35pm – 2:05pm CST Illustration of a clover leaf Sustaining Wellbeing Facilitated Conversation Sponsor: Library of Congress: Federal Credit Union Proudly Serving America’s Library Community Secure Your Spot Now! Recharging in Challenging Times An ALA Virtual Event Feb. 10, 2026 FOR OUR LIBRARIES. American Library Association

In these facilitator-led conversations, you will further explore the insights discovered in the Sustaining Wellbeing sessions. Connect with peers who get your day-to-day and walk away with practical tools and strategies. #ALAVirtual26

Secure your spot today. www.ala.org/virtual-event

A new, terrifying sound “I thought Venezuelans had already heard every sound the country’s violence had to offer. But this was something new — terrifying in its unfamiliarity.”

"There is something particular about realizing that war is moving closer to you. The images, the emotions, the sounds, even the smells. The way we slowly grow accustomed to new forms of violence."

Powerful story from Venezuela in @globalvoices.org

globalvoices.org/2026/01/05/a...

"We are hiring" graphic with a blue finial background

Join the #iSchoolUI! We invite applications for the Director of Recruitment and Admissions, who will be responsible for the overall recruitment, admissions, and yield operations for the School. Submit your application by January 16 ▶️ bit.ly/44z76mf

Associate Professor Colin Rhinesmith

#iSchoolUI Associate Professor @crhinesmith.bsky.social has been elected to serve on the iSchools Board of Directors, where he will assist in developing the strategic direction of the iSchools organization. Congratulations, Colin! ▶️ bit.ly/4iSvwwV

Thinking Through... Digital Equity or Digital Divide?

In this new podcast, #iSchoolUI Associate Professor Colin Rhinesmith and Allison Lester, host of the Thinking Through... Podcast, reflect on what gets overlooked in conversations about the digital divide. ➡️ bit.ly/4pmMtl2

Digital Equity Ecosystems by Colin Rhinesmith - Paper Scholarship is a powerful tool for changing how people think, plan, and govern. By giving voice to bright minds and bold ideas, we seek to foster understanding and drive progressive change.

Thrilled to announce that my new book, "Digital Equity Ecosystems: How Community Coalitions Reduce Inequality and Strengthen Democracy" will be published by @ucpress.bsky.social in June 2026! www.ucpress.edu/books/digita...

Bob Ross paintings to be auctioned to help fund US public broadcasting The auction will support the medium that brought the Joy of Painting host's creativity into US homes for decades, Bob Ross Inc says.

This is a very sad reality of our current moment in U.S. history. #publicbroadcasting

www.bbc.com/news/article...

This is so clearly immoral that it *feels* like it should be illegal. But current IP laws (state-level rights of publicity) aren't up to the task & ratcheting them up would risk impinging on artistic freedom.

What we need instead is an anti-deepfake law, which Congress has tried and failed to pass.

Thrilled to share the design for the cover of my new book, which will be published by the University of California Press in 2026! Many thanks to the UC Press creative team and Vanessa Rhinesmith for heavily informing the final design. #digitalequity

Data centers consume massive amounts of water – companies rarely tell the public exactly how much In 2024, one data center in Iowa consumed 1 billion gallons of water, enough to supply all the state’s residences with water for five days.

Data centers for AI and cloud computing don’t just use a lot of electricity – they also use enormous quantities of water as well, to cool down all those servers. buff.ly/KtLcLZ2

Canceling Colbert is just another egregious example of why we can't entrust our major media institutions in the hands of profit-driven oligarchs. Such concentrated power over media is especially dangerous under growing authoritarianism, muffling dissent precisely at the moment when we need it most.

Beyond Access and Infrastructure: Evaluating the Impact of Local Contexts on Digital Equity Strategies Through the Lens of the Digital Opportunities Compass Abstract. This article presents a multiple case study of context in shaping local digital equity policies in three communities in Michigan, United States. Few studies have systematically investigated ...

Thrilled to have a new article published in the Journal of Information Policy co-authored with my wonderful colleagues Dr. Pierrette Renée Dagg, Dr. Megan Knittel, and Joon Oh. #digitalequity #digitalinclusion #broadband doi.org/10.5325/jinf...

Federal damage to affordable, equitable broadband and digital inclusion In recent days, major new proposals from the Trump Administration and the majority in Congress are damaging further mechanisms that would have provided low-cost broadband to households in need.

"Federal damage to affordable, equitable broadband and digital inclusion" via @bentoninstitute.bsky.social #digitalequity #digitalinclusion #broadband #SaveTheDigitalEquityAct uccmediajustice.org/federal-dama...

BREAKING: Mahmoud Khalil speaks out after being released from ICE detention.

"The Trump administration are doing their best to dehumanize everyone here," Khalil said.

Business Leaders Call Trump Attacks on Universities a Competitive Threat More than 200 business leaders signed an open letter calling on the Trump administration to reverse its moves against colleges and universities, arguing that funding cuts and restrictions on [student

A significant development (via Wall Street Journal)...

"One of the first coordinated public efforts from the business community to push back on some of the Trump administration’s moves."

Business Leaders Call Trump Attacks on Universities a Competitive Threat

The ability to pay for broadband This paper presents findings from two studies: a national study of digital inclusion programmes managed by community-based organisations in the USA that help people gain access to low-cost broadban...

I am excited to share that our 2019 paper, titled “The Ability to Pay for Broadband” (Rhinesmith, Reisdorf, & Bishop) is now available open access in the journal Communication Research and Practice. #digitalequity #broadband #digitalinclusion www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

AI boom means regulator cannot predict future water shortages in England Datacentres, which do not have to report amount of water used to cool servers, leave Environment Agency with no idea of shortfalls

"The artificial intelligence boom means the Environment Agency has no idea how much water England will be short of in future decades, as datacentres do not have to report how much they are using to cool their servers."

🚨 There’s a lot of horrific news out of Washington right now—but you might have missed this: Senate Republicans just introduced a plan to sell off 120 million acres of our public lands.

Let me break down what’s in the bill and why it’s a full-scale land grab. 🧵

Trump Steel Tariffs Expanded to Hit Home Appliances

Your regular reminder tariffs are taxes paid by American consumers.

www.nytimes.com/2025/06/12/u...

Email MA State Reps and Senators An incident at Chelsea High School on May 14th resulted in two students being detained by ICE. This revealed chilling loopholes in MA state law that leave our children, their families, and our communi...

Unbelievable. The supposedly progressive state of MA, where I reside, is sharing teenagers' biometric data with FBI and ICE. Multiple students have recently been detained by ICE in Chelsea, MA.

We have a bill to stop this: H.1657 / S.1058.

Please send letters:

actionnetwork.org/letters/emai...

One of the reasons this program is so popular is the Whittier Public Library also offers free summer meals for kids and teens.

So ICE decided to show up the day the summer reading and free meal program for children began. Absolute ghouls.

www.whittierlibrary.org/Home/Compone...

Trump Wants to Keep America Digitally Divided By threatening to defund Digital Equity Act programs, Trump has declared war on a program that benefitted many of his own supporters.

"By threatening to defund Digital Equity Act programs, Trump has declared war on a program that benefitted many of his own supporters." #digitalequity #digitaldivide progressive.org/latest/trump...

This piece in the NY Times correctly hones in on why international students are vital to US interests

Kicking them out will destroy the research & development pipeline that has propelled the US into global leadership in science & tech

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State Plans Show Us the Cost of Eliminating the Digital Equity Act What states planned to do with their digital capacity funds shows the costs of eliminating the Digital Equity Act

"State Plans Show Us the Cost of Eliminating the Digital Equity Act" #digitaldivide #digitalequity #SavetheDigitalEquityAct www.benton.org/blog/state-p...