Different American Nations

The United States is a large country, but we are all American. So, how are there different American nations? According to Reid Wilson's article on the Washington Post website, Colin Woodward breaks it down in his new book, “American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America.” Here is a look at the map of the different nations:

Source

In the article, the 11 different nations are described. He uses culture, language, political views, and other criteria to determine which parts of the country go together. They are all grouped together generally. I think, for the most part, it is true. However I think it is dangerous to group such larges sections together. There are so many different things going on all over! I thought it was fascinating the role history took in the groupings.

Here is the link to the article which has the definition of each section. What are your thoughts on how they are all grouped together? What was the most interesting reason for a group?

Don't Tell Me What to do Facebook

Some of you may have noticed that on Tuesday there was a banner at the top of your Facebook timeline urging you to vote, and show others you had done so. Then when scrolling through your timeline, there were posts from many people stating they had in fact voted. A few days later, a new banner appeared at the top urging you to donate to help fight Ebola. These banners might help get people to vote or donate to the cause, but should Facebook try to influence its users?

As Caitlin Dewey stated in her article on the Washington Post, if people don't want the government to interfere with every day life, how do they feel about Facebook doing so? People were angry when larger sodas were banned in New York, so what does that mean for the reception of these Facebook banners?

I do think Facebook put the banners up with good intentions. I believe that people should vote and let their voices be heard. I also believe that you should donate to a cause, but I think people should choose that cause for themselves. I think people should invest their money, and time, in causes they are passionate about!

Do you think Facebook should continue to post banners like these? Did you even notice the banners on your Facebook timeline?

Election Day

If you are registered, make sure you go vote today! Be an informed voter.

What Do Democrats and Republicans 'Like'?

Not everything we do is political. Around election time it seems that everyone has an opinion on every candidate and the other party. The comments people post on social media, and the things they say, make it sometimes seem that Democrats and Republicans have nothing in common. However, there are other things in life than politics! An article on BuzzFeed looked at what Democrats and Republicans 'like' on Facebook.

The article looked at non-political things such as books, music, and TV shows. It shows what they 'liked' that is different from each other, but also what is common on both sides. There are some categories where the two parties have more in common such as TV shows.

Looking at the previous information, as well as the smaller graphs in the article, what is the most surprising to you?

The Internet Can be #Mean

Social media advertising does not always go the way you want it to go. There has been a shift in how politicians, and like-minded people, connect thanks to social media. This can be very useful, but does not always have the intended outcome. People use hashtags on Twitter to share their thoughts and see what others are saying about that same thing (e.g. #love). Companies, TV shows, and politicians can use these to get awareness of whatever they are doing out to others who might not otherwise see it. What people don't think about sometimes is that people are mean, especially on the Internet.

One example of this is #ImARepublican. The hashtag was started to break stereotypes of a Republican. However, the hashtag was taken over by people using it for satirical, and downright mean, uses. Instead of dispelling stereotypes they were feeding them and making fun of the hashtag. Most of them were funny, however the Internet can be meaner than real life. Politicians always need to be aware of how what they post on the Internet can be twisted, as can anything they say really.

Here is the link to the article, which has a pictures, tweets, and a video from the hashtag: source.  

Social Media Politicians

There has been a large shift in how Americans get news and information. More people are looking to the Internet, and more specifically social media, to gather information. These changes have also changed how politicians recruit, advertise, and connect with their audiences.

It is generally accepted that 2008 marked the beginning of social media elections. People started going to social media more and more to connect with family, friends, and even politicians. As such, politicians changed how they connected with the public. In 2008, Obama 112,475 Twitter followers which grew to 19,917,434 in 2012.

Using social media has become a very widely used form of advertisement and promotion. If a politician doesn't have a social media presences, they are at a severe disadvantage. Although not all politicians write the actual content on their social media sites, they still have accounts and information is posted for them.

This inforgraphic provides more information on how social media has changed with respect to politicians and political elections.

Source

   I think social media will only continue to grow and have a bigger impact on politics and how people perceive and learn about politicians.

Think Before You Post

With the rise of social media, everyone tells you to be careful of what you post on your various accounts. We have all heard "Once it is on the Internet it is there forever!" and "Employers will check your social media accounts before hiring you!" in attempts to make us think before we post. While you shouldn't post pictures from your wild night on Spring Break, can posts on social media lead to something even bigger?

Posting embarrassing photos to social media is never good, but what about posting national secrets to your Twitter or Facebook? What happens then, and what is being done it stop it from happening in the first place? One way this is being combated, David Nakamura states,  is by banning the use of social media on White House computers. Only those whose job it is to post to social media can access these websites. This however, can create a dilemma because when breaking news occurs, people cannot get real time updates. A program called eChirp was created to allow White House staffers to talk about breaking news as it happens and keep all employees informed.  

eChirp logo

There is a fine line between keeping national secrets, and restricting people's freedom. It is one that is more and more relevant to today's world. Almost all politicians have a Twitter account, and so does everyone else. Making sure that company (and government) information stays out of the wrong hands will always be hard, but "Thinking before posting" can be a big help!

Source  

Is It Really a Scandal?

This week we read Brendan Nyhan's article titled Covering Facts Versus the 'Narrative'. In this article he discusses how reporters paint events as 'scandalous' instead of reporting on facts of the event. There seems to be a shift from reporting solely the facts of what is happening into making it a big show. As Nyhan points out, reporters are taking narratives (such as so-and-so is too aggressive, or too lenient) onto larger issues that are occurring. There are so many different ways to get news these days (TV, radio, newspaper, online, social media) that reporters need to draw people in. By putting these spins on stories, they can grab someone's attention. Social media gives reporters even more chances to do this. Reporters are no longer limited to just their presentations on TV, they can now posts things at all times during the day, and about things they would not normally talk about on air.

Social media gives reporters a larger audience (and more 'air time') to discuss their feelings on a story. They can also create new angles to stories that are not there. As Nyhan stated, reporters can relate things together that are not really related. Social media gives reporters easy access to people and stories all over the world. To stand out on social media, something has to be big and shocking. This gives reporters even more incentive to give more drama to a story. They want as many followers as possible; they want to beat the competition, so using one extreme (on either side) will get more shares, likes, and followers.

When looking at news stories (especially political ones), look at all the actual information and try to see past the 'scandalous' story lines.      

True or False?

True or false is no longer just a set of questions on your exams!

Looking through social media sites, it can be hard to tell the difference between the truth and lies. People use social media to get news, entertain themselves and connect with family/friends. One woman put true or false to the test on her social media sites. Zilla van den Born faked a 5-week vacation in Southeast Asia. She didn't tell anyone in her family or any of her friends about her plan. Using Photoshop, she faked photos to 'prove' she went on a vacation. We all know the saying "pic or it didn't happen', but that isn't true anymore! Pictures can be faked so easily these days. Zilla created 5 weeks worth of pictures. Everyone believed that she had gone on this amazing trip. With a little help from the Internet and photo editing software, people can fake almost anything! People even pretend to be completely different people and have entire relationships with others on the Internet. Technology has made it very easy to become, and 'go', whatever/wherever you want!
Just like Zilla faked a 5-week vacation, people can fake news stories. People can write whatever they choose, and someone else will believe them. Someone can Photoshop a picture of a politician to make it whatever they want, and someone on the Internet will think the photo is real. Social media has increased the spread of information. Someone can post something on Twitter, and it is very easily retweeted. It takes no time at all to spread the information! People see a picture of a sick child on Facebook and immediately share it. Then we find out that child wasn't sick, and the picture was fake. People will say whatever they want on social media, and people believe them without even thinking about it.

So beware, you never know if something you see, or read, on the Internet is true or false!

Social Media Revolution

It seems that everyone has some form of social media these days. Not only is it college kids and young professionals, children and grandparents are also on at least one social media site. With this new trend, has how we receive, and perceive, the news changed? This blog will look at the way social media is changing the news. More specifically, this blog will look at how politics are reported.
People can get information from around the world in seconds. Not only can people look at what their local media is saying about our political leaders, people can also find what other countries are saying. This can give a whole new perspective on what is happening in the US, but also, what is happening abroad.