It’s OK that the average American knows more about the Kardashians than Paul Ryan – there is nothing wrong with entertainment. But what is leading in the headlines? As I write this, Facebook’s top trending story is about Sinead O’Connor, the Irish singer, being found safe after going missing.
2) Trending is great for entertainment, not newsĪs insightfully described in Neil Postman’s classic book " Amusing Ourselves to Death," handing over news to the “show-business demands” of television (and now the Internet) has huge impact on our society, and it is not pretty.Ĭase in point: More people died from prescription drug overdoses in the last few years than in car accidents, and last Friday Congress passed the last of 18 pieces of legislation to fight this epidemic. Important and substantial minority voices are routinely ignored in deference to the most popular or the desires of the majority (or to a biased editorial board with an agenda). How often would their perspective, or perspectives from members of the Green Party, tea party, or other groups appear? Don’t hold your breath. Libertarians roughly account for 11 percent of Americans, and many more Americans hold Libertarian views. Not a single conservative news source or opinion there, but we have room for an entertainment magazine.ĭig deeper. What news articles does Facebook show about this story? Articles from Slate, Washington Post, CNN and Variety. That seems like legitimate news being covered from news media across the political spectrum. The top Facebook political story as I write this is about Ben Carson naming potential vice president nominees for Donald Trump. Here's why it is a problem, and how Facebook could solve it: 1) Trending suppresses alternative and minority viewpoints And the way Facebook’s does it, it is even worse. In other words, the whole concept behind Trending News is fundamentally wrong. And worse, it silences other perspectives in favor of the popular flavor of the moment. That is human nature.Ī computer algorithm that averages those individual biased choices to deliver trending news does not remove bias, but amplifies it. They are biased by what they know, what they don’t know, and all their life experiences.
The Supreme Court case that could reshape US elections
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