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Extremism, Fake News And Hate: Effects Of Social Media In The Post-Truth Era, Alex Schackmuth
Extremism, Fake News And Hate: Effects Of Social Media In The Post-Truth Era, Alex Schackmuth
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations
This thesis examines the utilization of social media platforms (particularly Facebook & Twitter) by political actors, contemporary media, and ordinary people to disseminate false or misleading information. Furthermore, it examines how social media have aided in the mobilization of previously unpopular extremist social/political movements in the US. This research provides a rich historical account of news media and its dissemination technology. Additionally, the thesis looks to several theories to show that these events are best understood as examples of larger processes endemic to modern capitalist societies. Utilizing news media and archival records to create event catalogs, this research illustrates how …
Facebook As A Contemporary Public Sphere: Political Consciousness And Agency, Catherine Drake
Facebook As A Contemporary Public Sphere: Political Consciousness And Agency, Catherine Drake
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations
This thesis argues that Facebook can create the conditions of possibility for a dynamic, deliberative space for human engagement which can potentially lead to the formation of globally networked, active, empowered political subjects. This thesis examines Facebook as a contemporary version of the Habermasian public sphere while tracing the development of political consciousness in a particular person at a particular moment through engagement with Facebook. By using this self-reflective approach, I critically examine my own experiences alongside public sphere and social media literature which both suggest that Facebook may offer a new way to engage politically in ways that are …