In the aftermath of Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony to Congress, Mickey and his guests look at the ongoing issues of social media’s social responsibility, or lack thereof. Given many of Haugen’s disclosures were already known to those who have been paying attention, what actions should be taken to reduce the harm caused by the behavior of Facebook and other digital media giants? Censorship shouldn’t be the answer, though many call for and even celebrate it in our current cancel culture. Would regulation change social media culture? Could it even help journalism? What role does critical media literacy education have in all this? Today’s expert guests discuss at length.
Alan MacLeod is a media critic, a staff writer at MintPress News, and a contributor to many other publications. He’s also the author/editor two books, including Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. Nolan Higdon lectures in history and media studies at California State University, East Bay and other colleges in CA. He’s also the author of several books and academic articles, including, United States of Distraction and The Anatomy of Fake News.