We're proud to introduce the 24 affiliated faculty of the Penn Center on Media, Technology and Democracy — distinguished by their rigorous empirical research advancing our understanding of the information ecosystem and its impact on democracy. 🧵
🚨NEWS: @knightcolumbia.org & @protectdemocracy.org just filed a lawsuit on behalf of @thecoalition.bsky.social challenging the Trump administration's policy targeting social media researchers and trust & safety workers for visa revocation and deportation. More: knightcolumbia.org/content/tech...
We funded 12 projects at a moment of profound technological change and extraordinary democratic crisis — all focused on strengthening our collective understanding of the information ecosystem.
🧵 We're excited to share that we’re using slightly outdated content to backfill our BlueSky profile!
For instance, like, uh, two months ago, we awarded our inaugural Information and Democracy Research Grant Program! (1/4)
We study the information ecosystem — the platforms, algorithms, and incentives that determine which ideas spread and which don't. Our goal: better science, better policy, stronger democracy.
We're building shared data infrastructure (including PennMAP) and investing in computational social science — ML, network analysis, NLP — to study information systems at scale.
We take a broad view of the media ecosystem. That means social platforms, yes — but also TV, podcasts, radio, and the wider internet. We don't assume any single channel dominates how people actually get information. Check out our research compendium for a snapshot of our work in this space!
Hello from the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy! 👋 We're new(ish), and we just joined Bluesky — because, well, you know how the other platforms are going. Here's what we're about 🧵 (1/6)
Essential reading: The Regime Does Not Make Mistakes by @janeesberg.bsky.social
"Like Pinochet, the Trump administration wants you to believe the people they are terrorizing and killing deserve it."
www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...
When Minnesotans were talking about “not letting this happen to our neighbors,” this is the heartbreaking “this” they meant
"Many American see this as a tax" except 1) smart money says most Americans have no idea that the European Commission is fining X and TikTok and 2) it affects normal Americans bottom line literally not at all.
Patently false claim, and poorly contextualized by NYT
This is pretty frustratingly credulous coverage by @jeannasmialek.bsky.social about the Trump admin's depiction of EU tech regulation.
The EU has been principled and disciplined in applying its laws, and is fining clear and demonstrable violations.
www.nytimes.com/2026/02/19/w...
This nearly exactly happened to my dad last year. Very sorry to hear this and hoping the best for your family.
The highlight from my first Knight Media Forum will unquestionably be hearing from journalists Julie K Brown (Epstein) and Georgia Fort (Minneapolis). American heroes, their words ringing in my ears.
@knightfoundation.org
@jkbjournalist.bsky.social
Reminder when you watch the Intuit Super Bowl ads, they have Super Bowl ad money because they are a successful rent seekers who have worked for decades to kill free, quality, public tax preparation services donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-death-...
I'm looking back on some of my old AI regulatory work before the Penn Accountable AI Conference today, and IMO my work on enrollment algorithms (AI that sets the cost of college tuition) is among my best.
I rarely re-read my old work but it's a nice feeling.
www.techpolicy.press/enrollment-a...
Was just texting this, Philly edition, to people earlier today. Absolutely balmy.
Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.
White. Hot. Rage.
Tomorrow's front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 24, 2026
A society that has any aspiration to be free and democratic cannot - it must not! - tolerate the existence of an agency like ICE.
In both personnel and institutionalized culture, ICE is a stronghold of violent authoritarianism, simply incompatible with the fundamental values of a democratic society
New real-world field study *inoculating* against misinformation in live social media scroll feeds out in Harvard Misinfo Review @misinforeview.bsky.social
We targeted +375k users with a short ad on Insta using a novel quasi-experimental method (1/3)
misinforeview.hks.harvard.edu/article/preb...
pepper spraying someone in the face from inches away while they are already restrained on the ground should get you fired and land you in jail, no exceptions
The new Penn Center is now on LinkedIn, bringing you the latest and greatest research on the information ecosystem!
New paper overviews from Duncan Watts, Matt Levendusky, Diana Mutz, and Dan Hopins out today in our growing (in beta) Research Compendium
www.linkedin.com/company/penn...
This was extremely predictable, and a good criticism of US AI policy has been an overly strong focus on large models, rather than specific uses / applications where value is clearly demonstrated and real competition is happening already.
Google traffic to publishers dropped by ONE THIRD in 2025 pressgazette.co.uk/media-audien...
Registration is open for the first Accountable AI Research Conference, at The Wharton School in Philadelphia on Feb. 6, 2026.
ai-analytics.wharton.upenn.edu/wharton-acco...
If you're an AI governance practitioner or researcher, looking for insights on the future of responsible AI, please join us!
Nicholas Kristof @NickKristof X.com I'm struck by the contrast between the passion for democracy shown by Iranians willing to die for it and the complacency with which many Americans have accepted an authoritarian slide. Americans should cheer for Iran's democrats--and also learn from their determination.
I see this take around from time to time and totally disagree. ICE just murdered a woman standing up to them. No Kings is among the largest protests in history.
The complacency is coming from elites in media, business, universities, and the Democratic leadership
As our government seeks to erase the truth of five years ago, I am deeply grateful for all those researchers whose words shine with such clarity in our Media and January 6th @oxfordunipress.bsky.social book: global.oup.com/academic/pro...
