In her latest, @ruthbenghiat serevs it straight:

lucid.substack.com/p/fox-is-a-far… By absolving the #MAGA mob of its violent role in attempting to overthrow a democratic election and install Trump as de-facto dictator of the United States, @FoxNews is also absolving itself of its leading role in fomenting this anti-democratic violence.

A 🧵 for the @WhiteHouse as it weighs its pick for an @FCC nominee.

These must be the five prerequisites to prevent industry capture of yet another agency commissioner: Putting the public interest first SHOULD BE a no-brainer. @gigibsohn was a champion for everyday people. The next nominee must be as well.

Fox News' blackout of the Jan. 6 hearings is designed not only to shield channel viewers from facts about the Trump-inspired coup attempt, but also to weave a conspiratorial counter-narrative rooted in the "Big Lie," @danpfeiffer tells @ThelumLineGS.

washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/… @danpfeiffer But the problem isn't so much with the "Lost Cause" of the MAGA faithful, but that other media are drawn by the "gravitational pull" of the Fox (and Facebook) effect.

The latest rightwing contrived "pseudo-scandal...was infecting the larger media environment," Pfeiffer says.

With latest SEC filing it's increasingly clear that @elonmusk is looking for a Twitter exit:

sec.gov/Archives/edgar… Either that or leverage with which to negotiate down his $54.20/share offer, which is more than $15 over it's present value.

Just as #NewJersey doubles its commitment to funding innovative, public-interest news and information (a groundbreaking initiative spearheaded by @FreePress), neighboring #Pennsylvania is walking it back.

And the reasons behind PA defunding appear to be highly controversial. 1/6

https://twitter.com/Will_Bunch/status/1413462041705254920

According to the @PennCapitalStar report, seven public TV and radio stations — such as @WHYY in Philadelphia, @WQED in Pittsburgh, and @WITF in Harrisburg saw their funding ($2.75 million in state taxpayer support) eliminated. 2/6

Writes @ayeemach: "It’s time that we see the development of discriminatory technological products as an intentional act done by the largely white, male executives of Silicon Valley to uphold the systems of racism [that] create extraordinary profits for their companies." 1/4 "We should view algorithmic bias as a spillover effect from the culture of tech that has persistent racial and gender inequality in hiring and leadership and that has actively discouraged its employees from engaging in political discussions at work." 2/4

Timothy Snyder writes about the growing global proliferation of what are called “memory laws”: official attempts to fix a state actor's version of history, often at the expense of communities that have been repressed and marginalized.

nytimes.com/2021/06/29/mag… The obvious parallel here is the GOP-led effort to whitewash U.S. history, to ban curricula that give accurate weight to slavery's role in the founding of the nation. (See @GovRonDeSantis).

Our lame-duck president is having another tantrum over social media that fact-check his lies. His latest rant targets the National Defense Authorization Act, which he says must now include a repeal of #Section230 protections that grant platforms the right to correct the record. This latest tirade is more of the same from a president who's deeply confused & angry about a rule that protects the constitutional rights of platforms. In Trumpworld they should be servile agents for amplifying his false propaganda about the election result & the COVID response.

Ajit Pai: Profile in Courage

Later today, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai is speaking at the #CPAC2018 convention in Washington. The actual title of his speech is "American Pai: The Courageous Chairman of the FCC.”

Here’s a history of this humble public servant’s incredible bravery: Pai repeatedly ignores the outcry from Americans across the political spectrum (including more than 3 out of 4 Republicans) who support protections for the open internet…