What would a 100% Canadian social media platform look like? The team at @gandersocial.bsky.social is about to find out. By giving Canadians control over their data, their feeds, and more, they’re hoping to offer a viable alternative for American social media.

Today, my campaign is releasing our first policy planks to root out corruption and self-dealing in government. cammieforcongress.com/article/camm...

On Nov. 19th, we’re co-hosting Eurosky Live in Berlin! Europeans need control over European social media infrastructure, and next week we’re gathering entrepreneurs, technologists, policy-makers, and others towards developing a new, public interest digital ecosystem for Europe.

Like many small nonprofits, we’ve been experimenting with using AI tools so that we can focus on our mission of reinforcing human connections, conversations, and communities. We remain mindful of the harms and risks of AI, and have developed a set of guiding principles grounded in our values.

There’s a big gap between how people talk to their neighbors online, and how they want to — I can’t wait to share this survey. Looking forward to this conversation with my @newpublic.org co-founder @taliastroud.bsky.social on November 20th. RSVP to join

Hey, if you (yes you) have 5 minutes I could use your help -- we are doing a project on how social conversation online will be reshaped in the next couple of years, and would love to hear what you're seeing/thinking about!

The focus tends to be on the kids, but access to screens and technology have also profoundly changed parents, too. Our Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social says it’s important to stress that these are tools and give kids the credit and confidence to understand the bigger picture.

In the spirit of learning in public, we’re opening the door to how New_ Public has been thinking about and using AI. We break down our understanding of the risks, the values behind how we're using it in our work, and explain why we’re choosing to take on this technology as critics and not skeptics.

For the past few months at @newpublic.org we’ve been doing some thinking about where and why to use – and not use – AI tools. This AI policy is a first attempt to set some guiding principles. Very curious to hear folks’ thoughts on this first iteration.

I spent some time this summer working out of the Villager, the cafe owned by The Midcoast Villager in my hometown of Camden, ME. It was very cool to see the mix of Mainers, tourists, and Villager staffers all eating, working, and engaging together.

I've been working on this with our amazing team for five months now, and we're getting very close to sharing more about what we've been up to. I'm so excited.

How fast is artificial intelligence actually progressing? Are AI companies going to become pariahs (like social media companies before them)? When will we really feel genuine disruption? A dispatch from AI conference The Curve, by New_ Public Co-Director @eli.bsky.social

It won’t be easy, but we’re optimistic. People will always use a bridge — literal or figurative — if it gets them somewhere they need to or want to go. Learn more here. There’s much more to come, soon!

As part of our mission, we’re committed to building new online infrastructure to foster community and civic health. But what does that actually look like? Our Co-Directors, @eli.bsky.social and @deeptidoshi.bsky.social, often turn to IRL public infrastructure for inspiration. In this case, BRIDGES

This is so exciting – at @newpublic.org, we're looking forward to building in collaboration with a rich ecosystem of open-standards-based tooling to support healthy online spaces for local communities, and @roost.tools is so inspirational in that regard.

If you’re looking for a boost, here’s New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social’s excellent essay about having the freedom to live the kind of life you want to live. Deepti presents a vision for the future where technology makes people feel hopeful and less alone.

As mainstream social media platforms move further away from local news and community connection, local newsletters are stepping in to fill the gap. Friend of New_ Public Logan Elmore started his newsletter in Chattanooga, TN with the intention of going beyond news and inspiring community pride.

Thousands of people opined on the recovery from the LA fires using California's new digital democracy tool Engaged California. From climate resilience to restoring utilities, residents and survivors set the agenda and now it’s time for the state to take action. Check out the results so far!

How do you build digital spaces that actually strengthen communities? In this webinar with Healthy Places by Design, New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social explains the Civic Signals, a framework for flourishing digital public spaces.

Traditionally, showing up at a town meeting has been a cornerstone of participatory democracy. Today, in person engagement isn’t always convenient or realistic. But California is showing that when people have the right tools, they are ready to have civil, thoughtful, and productive conversations.

Public media organizations are facing an existential threat — how can they not only survive this moment but emerge stronger? If you’re at Attention: Govern or be Governed, Friend of New_ Public Catherine Tait will be tackling this with @camposmello.bsky.social & @emilybell.bsky.social tomorrow.

In the age of AI, @arctictony.com argues that journalists and media organizations must tap into “The Archipelago of Trust”: the group chats, newsletters, and private networks that are grounded in connection and trust. At the core of that archipelago? People.

Rebuilding Los Angeles after the wildfires is a massive undertaking, but California is finding ways to keep survivors at the center of decisionmaking. As communities look toward recovery, the state's government is giving the public a digital forum to share their priorities and shape their future.

Both humbled and energized by folks’ support for my campaign. Here we go! #NJ11 newjerseyglobe.com/congress/cro...

📊 We want to hear from you! Our newsletter explores topics related to our mission of reimagining social media and building better digital spaces. We’ve linked some examples in the thread below. If you’re already subscribed (as you should be!), what do you want to see more of? Comment below!

We see some key parallels in the rise of social media platforms. Will we retread the same patterns, and will AI be built to maximize growth, engagement, and profit at all costs? Will AI transform everything about the social internet unrecognizably, with entirely different incentives and outcomes?

It’s time we talked about the elephant in the room. How we talk to each other online, where we get news and information, and how the internet shapes our lives and communities, is rapidly changing. Generative AI might rearrange everything we’re working toward.

Don’t forget! Tomorrow, join New_ Public’s Kasiana McLenaghan at the Public Interest Technology Career Summit, hosted by @stanford.edu’s PIT Lab and the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society. Register now ⬇️

Friends of New_ Public Deborah Tien and Josh Nesbit talk about why bringing agency, consent, purpose to our digital relationships — and leaning into the weird — can deepen our connections with people around us. Another inspiring conversation from Sam Pressler in Connective Tissue 💜

Have five minutes? Our own @joshpkramer.bsky.social has a lightning talk on Public Spaces Incubator and reconnecting public media to the public: “When you give up on hosting the conversation, and you cede it to these companies, what happens when they go crazy?”

Social media changed the game, and we’re seeing parallels in generative AI's potential to disrupt and transform. In this excerpt of their new book, Bruce Schneier and Nathan E. Sanders make some predictions about AI's impact on our democracy and remind us we still have agency to shape the outcome.

Calling all digital storytellers! New_ Public is looking for a Social Media Fellow starting as soon as November. As our work picks up steam, we need your help to spread the word about the movement to reconnect our communities and build a better social media.

How will technology continue to shape how we talk to each other? We’re seeking a researcher to help tackle big questions like this. Working with Co-Director @eli.bsky.social, this is a chance to engage with experts, dive into the research, and contribute directly to the field and our strategy.

When I wrote the Filter Bubble in 2011, I portrayed an algorithmic tug of war between your impulsive, present-tense self and your more forward-thinking, aspirational self. Now a big showdown between your long-term and short-term self is here. The question is, which side will your chatbot be on?

Are you based in or around the Bay Area? Come meet us in person at the Public Interest Technology Career Summit on October 10! Kaisana McLenaghan will be there, ready to talk about our work at New_ Public and building a career in public interest tech.

There’s a bold future possible for media organizations that prioritize real conversation online. As @kqedforum.bsky.social's experiment shows, building a digital space where people can actually discuss news and culture in a healthy way can help bolster trust, understanding, and support for the org.

Are you passionate about making the internet a better place? Join New_ Public as our Social Media Fellow! Help us amplify our mission through engaging, strategic content and reimagine what’s possible in the future of social media.

There’s a lot of lessons to learn from @kqedforum.bsky.social’s Discord on how media orgs can successfully build a prosocial digital community. Two key ingredients: 🤝 Stewardship shared by both staff and community members. 💬 Norms encouraging people to engage respectfully, even on tough topics.

“Skate to where the puck is going, not where it has been.” Wayne Gretzky 🏒 (also New_ Public) We’re looking for a short-term Research Fellow to help us identify emerging trends and explore how the growth of AI is impacting digital public spaces.

Interested in working with us but not seeing an open role that fits your skills and experience? Submit your resume to our Talent Pool to get notified first about new opportunities at New_ Public. 🤫 (hint hint, you'll hear from us very soon!)

BIG DEAL for @cammiecroft.bsky.social! "Cammie Croft, a Democrat on her first run for elected office, has quickly established herself as a real contender in the still-hypothetical special election for Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-Montclair)’s congressional seat."

📅 TOMORROW New_ Public Co-Director @deeptidoshi.bsky.social goes through the research driving our work, and breaks down how to design healthy, community-centered digital spaces with @frontporchforum.bsky.social’s Jason Van Driesche. RSVP here: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

In this moment of crisis for local and public media, how can community-focused orgs reclaim space and not only inform, but also build trust and civic engagement? In the Bay Area, public radio station @kqedforum.bsky.social started a Discord community and they’re sharing their playbook for success.

Cammie's one of the best, a fighter and a winner. So glad she's running for Congress. Take a look at her video.

TODAY: 1pm EST / 10am PST, Kasiana McLenaghan explains how her career went from energy efficiency startups to outlets like The New York Times and now to New_ Public. We’ll be chatting about the intersections of tech and journalism and how to build a career making social media better for all.

Nepal offers a case study of how digital spaces can help foster participatory democracy. ICYMI; After youth-led protests against government corruption and a ban on social media, the PM stepped down and movement leaders used Discord to elevate an interim Prime Minister.

🚨 We’re seeking a Staff UX Researcher to join the Local Lab team. Can you… 👉 lead tactical studies to refine and evaluate our approach? ✍️ develop and facilitate workshops with design peers? 🤝 collaborate closely with your product colleagues? More details below

RESEARCH: Participating in local conversations can strengthen your connection to your community, online & off. A study found active, long-term participants in their local subreddit were more likely to be civically involved & report a higher sense of belonging. journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

There are many ways to have a career in social media that embraces interdisciplinary skills and a human-centered design ethos. Join us for a career chat on 9/22 ft Kasiana McLenaghan, PSI Product Director, whose career path brought her to the intersection between journalism and tech at New_ Public.

Doomscrolling get you down? The indie web is the way out. Here you’ll find sites that aren’t built for views or profits, by creators who are embracing what made the world wide web beautiful and exciting in the first place. @chezpanique.bsky.social has a list of her favorites to get you started.