Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Democracy is not a Facebook focus group

Re:Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Democracy is not a Facebook focus g... by in_cahoots on Tuesday February 21, 2017 @02:08PM (#13698533)

I think you'd be surprised. It's not an "us vs them" situation, most of us have some frivolous outlet to go along with our real interests. I skim trashy magazines when they are around, and I watch the latest blockbusters each summer.

None of this stops me from also watching 'prestige television' or keeping up-to-date with current events. People like Jon Stewart and Jon Oliver have managed to bridge the divide between news and entertainment, and I don't see why social media should be any different.

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Re:Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Democracy is not a Facebook focus g... by cprecioso on Tuesday February 21, 2017 @04:20PM (#13700122)

> People like Jon Stewart and Jon Oliver have managed to bridge the divide between news and entertainment

I don't think those are good examples for escapades outside our bubbles, as they are decidedly left-leaning, with a left-leaning viewpoint on the issues they cover, and for mostly a left-leaning audience.

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Re:Dear Mark Zuckerberg: Democracy is not a Facebook focus g... by in_cahoots on Tuesday February 21, 2017 @05:10PM (#13700536)

Fair point. I don't mean to say that these comedians help escape the content bubble. But at the very least their longevity (along with Colbert, whose ratings have actually improved as he has become more political) shows that you can provide something reasonably informative in a funny, unconventional package. I just don't buy the argument that large swaths of the population are only satiated by 'trash' like Real Housewives or FB clickbait and would never consume something more challenging if it were presented to them.

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