Civic Imagination: The Final Frontier

The civic imagination, according to The Civic Imagination Project, is the “capacity to imagine alternatives to current cultural, social, political, or economic conditions;” it is necessary to imagine better futures to achieve them.  It’s hard to think of a more visionary future than the one depicted in the various Star Trek series.  The Original Series,Continue reading “Civic Imagination: The Final Frontier”

Stereotypes in Media: The Band Kid

It’s not a revelation to learn we’re living in a society infused and inundated with media. In the articles we read, clips we watch, songs we listen to and so much more, stereotypes are pervasive. People from certain cultures are portrayed as negative or fetishized, those with non-heteronormative gender identities are commonly depicted with certainContinue reading “Stereotypes in Media: The Band Kid”

Banned Books: Then to Now

In honor or Banned Books week, we’re going to be examining the rise and continued relevance of book banning, as well as how the topic has continued to be portrayed. Origins of banned books Book bans are not a new or unusual thing– the first banned books in the United States dates back to 1637.Continue reading “Banned Books: Then to Now”

An Exercise in Fact-Checking

This week, we’re taking an in-depth look at how fact-checking works, using a recent example from the Reuters Fact-Checking team. More specifically, I’ll be taking you through the analysis of a recent piece of misinformation that made its way around the web in the United Kingdom. The Claim: In late August, several posts regarding COVID-19Continue reading “An Exercise in Fact-Checking”

On Information Access and Net Neutrality

Net neutrality was quite the buzz word back in 2019 when a series of states passed legislation after the Federal Communications Commission repealed net neutrality laws from in 2017.  States like California, Colorado and Maine sprang into action to pass their own net neutrality laws (read more about the specific legislation from The National ConferenceContinue reading “On Information Access and Net Neutrality”