3 ms·

Regardless of whether this story is true or not, how do we know whether and/or to what extent new media backhandedly affects political outcomes? Facebook (if/w

Regardless of whether this story is true or not, how do we know whether and/or to what extent new media backhandedly affects political outcomes? Facebook (if/when it wants to) could wield tremendous power in swaying politics throughout the world by adjusting which stories/posts people see and which they tend not to. How are people to know that they're not being intentionally manipulated? (and if that seems like Conspiracy Theory talk, perhaps first consider that Old Media -- TV, newspapers, radio, etc -- throughout the world very often do exactly this.)

pigpaws 10y ago
very true. in fact, the Washington Post has a 'hit piece' out on Trump today. Yet, the WaPo has clearly delineated that they slant 'left', and don't think that it sways their reporting. Whats the psychology there? While I have no problem with 'hit pieces', I do have a problem when candidates are not treated or investigated with the same vigor. The 'MSM' has failed all of us, and the online companies are going down the same 'memory hole', trying to force people to one side or the other.
meira 10y ago
Brazil is the biggest facebook lab. It's happening right now.
- meira 10y ago
  And it's ugly.
ju3 10y ago
In my experience most of the time people are unintentionally manipulated. It's not just that they don't know, its that the "manipulator" has no idea what they are doing either. When someone at Facebook asked Zuckerberg recently, if they should be doing something about Trump, it shows they are just waking up to what their platform is already being used for. They don't seem to have any awareness, that there are numerous other ideologues, megalomaniacs, demagogues, they unintentionally support in countries across the world. That's when they run and hide behind free speech, cause facing the truth about what they have created is too complicated.

pigpaws 10y ago

very true. in fact, the Washington Post has a 'hit piece' out on Trump today. Yet, the WaPo has clearly delineated that they slant 'left', and don't think that it sways their reporting. Whats the psychology there? While I have no problem with 'hit pieces', I do have a problem when candidates are not treated or investigated with the same vigor. The 'MSM' has failed all of us, and the online companies are going down the same 'memory hole', trying to force people to one side or the other.

meira 10y ago

Brazil is the biggest facebook lab. It's happening right now.

meira 10y ago
And it's ugly.

ju3 10y ago

In my experience most of the time people are unintentionally manipulated. It's not just that they don't know, its that the "manipulator" has no idea what they are doing either. When someone at Facebook asked Zuckerberg recently, if they should be doing something about Trump, it shows they are just waking up to what their platform is already being used for. They don't seem to have any awareness, that there are numerous other ideologues, megalomaniacs, demagogues, they unintentionally support in countries across the world. That's when they run and hide behind free speech, cause facing the truth about what they have created is too complicated.