"Across the media landscape, billionaire owners are plowing cash into low-wattage right-wing media personalities that often attract tiny audiences but serve a much more valuable purpose: flattering Trump." www.status.news/p/katie-mill... Low wattage could be like 600 subscribers. [ No paywall. ]

Half-caff thought: I know Democrats drew the map and that it was intended to favor creating democratic districts, but it WAS approved in a state-wide referendum. Is it fair to call this a Democrat plan at this point?

I've decided I'm going to repost this every day to manifest it.

Tell me why.

I have heard from multiple students now that they write what they want to say and then go back and add in mistakes and poor writing. They do this so they won't be honor coded for AI use. And, that's messed up. What are we doing here?

Check out these other headlines from @pewresearch.org

Out from @pewresearch.org. I think these numbers are concerningly low.* What do you think? From this larger report. www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/... *But I guess good that my UnSpun podcast can be useful...

Half-caff thought: AI use can be a problem because it encourages valuing the product without the process. How many of you regularly read essays in your daily life? Yet you write a whole lot in school. That's because the PROCESS of creating the ESSAY product requires the skill of critical thinking.

You agree with the vast majority of people you encounter on the vast majority of things. This can be a basis for relationships that can, with patience, lead to positive social change for everyone.

Half-caff thoughts: The AI issue is teaching us to value things that aren't perfect, and that's likely a good thing in some ways.

Half-caff thoughts: People use source credibility as a shorthand for information quality. This is what lets cries of "Fake News!" be effective. I think we are developing a new dimension - human vs. augmented human vs. AI generated. It will be the age of artisan information.

Not for nothing, but lower-income people tend to be device-dependent for internet, so QR codes can be a way to keep things available to more people.

Looking in on the upside down…

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...

I thought polling couldn't be more useless, but I guess I was wrong.

What happens when harassment gets a mind of its own? In this week’s UnSpun Journal Club, I look at a new paper on malicious AI swarms and how they could reshape social media, public debate...even trust itself. Find it here or where you pod. bit.ly/4a6GJWg

Historians of Bsky: Is there precedent for the proles to clamor to be taxed in order to have improved luxury facilities at the palace? Genuinely curious.

A bit of good news globalvoices.org/2026/05/11/b... h/t @older.bsky.social

This is a lot of my students as well.

This is targeted at ADULTS, btw. There's already good curriculum for K12, and it just needs to be required. Easier said than done, but you can do it for students. Getting adults is the stickier bit, but man, is it needed.

PLUTO IS RULER OF THE UNDERWORLD.

What's your #FridayFeeling? Mine's disquieted.

A major computer system used by many thousands of public school districts as well as colleges and universities was hacked today. My school doesn't use it, but we're switching to it this summer.

But also, the design of the graphic is a sin against data.

I think irony may have kicked the bucket.

👋Hi! I’m Jessica Lussenhop, and for the last 4 years, I served as ProPublica’s first Minnesota-based reporter. But now I’ve got big news: On May 14, ProPublica is launching a brand new podcast! It’s called “Paper Trail,” and I’ll be your host. Thread 🧵

Q: How is it in Washington? A: Well, you have to be very brave. I wish more people in Congress did stuff like this.

Half-caff thoughts: Things started going downhill when we started referring to stories as content.

...shouldn't you do the reading/watching/whatever before voting? When you think about how much ratings and reviews affect your own choices...

All these Met Gala photos remind me of the fashion show in True Stories. It's a truly GREAT movie if you are into the slightly absurd and great Talking Heads music + Pops Staples. I spent a couple of years in grad school trying to find a home copy. Eventually got one at Tower Records in NYC. 12/10

Half-caff thoughts: I regularly run into people whom I realize are easy to underestimate. Usually super nice. Self-effacing. Extremely aware of the situation and the levers that force change. They are usually not the squeaky wheel, so they often go unnoticed.

Being on the ground with young adults, I can absolutely verify. All that mommy blogging really did have a cost. www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1xB...

The Adequate Wizard of Oz

#SundaySillies - When you get your news from social media edition (and yes, it's a joke image, I believe)

Phenomenal! Meet the star: oem.com.mx/elsoldetlaxc...

From my very first conference sessions I attended that looked at until reading this, this morning, my question has been this: What about the audience? www.npr.org/2026/05/02/n...

Half-caff thoughts. Actually conversation I had this week with a colleague feeling guilty over cutting back voluntary service due to serious health issues: The university will never love you back. Happy May Day. Go do something meaningful.

Stop. Check this out. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHp4...

Listened yesterday, and I understand the delay. It was worth the wait.

This is from Ireland, but it's true elsewhere, as well. I talk about the Availability Bias in this week's episode - what you see a lot of you assume to be true. Some voices have mastered this and it's making you distrust neighbors who actually agree with you. www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

Half-caff thought from today's research work: It's AMAZING how many things can be explained with the fact that it's difficult to change your mind.

Australia is proposing to tax Meta, Google and TikTok a proportion of their revenue to pay for news reporters. The government intends to introduce the draft legislation to Parliament by July. n.pr/4eOMTi3

Picture, if you will, a class of children with mud on their faces, standing and applauding a speaker talking about soap and water... www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/u...

I don't have a place to put a pocket square, so... does the 1st Amendment protect this, or nah?

You've been scrolling, on and off, so you feel up-to-speed. But are you? In this week's UnSpun, I break down research that shows that a feed full of urgent news stories can make you feel more confident, but also more ignorant. Here or where you pod. bit.ly/UnSpunPod

Close to the end of the month, so here's a Gift Link. Relevant quote: "Authoritarians don’t like anybody who doesn’t give them undue dignity. Comedians are anti-authoritarian by nature. And authoritarians are never going to like anybody to laugh at them." www.nytimes.com/2026/04/28/b...

It's patchy here in the USA, as curriculum is mostly determined by states. Youth are a concern, but because of compulsory education, that's a reasonably addressable concern. I think adults are a larger immediate concern and a lot harder to solve.

If I see "correspondence dinner" one more time...

This is all about how you structure the incentives, but I honestly do not know at this point what is going to happen to the information environment.

I've decided I'm going to repost this every day to manifest it.