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Michael J. Socolow

Michael J. Socolow

Associate Professor, Communication and Journalism, University of Maine

Michael J. Socolow is a media historian whose research centers upon America’s original radio networks in the 1920s and 1930s. His scholarship on media history has appeared in Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, The Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, Technology & Culture, and other scholarly journals. He is the author of Six Minutes in Berlin: Broadcast Spectacle and Rowing Gold at the Nazi Olympics (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2016). He was awarded the 2018 Broadcast Historian Award by the Library of American Broadcasting Foundation and the Broadcast Education Association for Six Minutes in Berlin.

He is also a former broadcast journalist who has worked as an Assignment Editor for the Cable News Network and as an information manager for the host broadcast organization at the Barcelona, Atlanta, and Sydney Olympic Games. He has written pieces on media regulation and media history for Slate, Columbia Journalism Review, the Chronicle of Higher Education’s Chronicle Review, and other journalistic outlets. In the Department of Communication and Journalism, he serves as Internship Coordinator and teaches CMJ 211: Journalism Studies I, CMJ 237: Journalism Across Platforms, CMJ 380: Advertising, Media & Society, CMJ 489: Seminar in Media Ethics, CMJ 520: Media History, CMJ 525: Propaganda and Political Persuasion, and other courses.

For more on Professor Socolow’s scholarship check out his Google Scholar profile: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YxTJsxoAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao. He tweets at @michaelsocolow.

Don't trust the news media? That's good

Mar 15, 2023 15:53 pm UTC| Insights & Views

Everyone seems to hate what they call the media. Attacking journalism even accurate and verified reporting provides a quick lift for politicians. Its not just Donald Trump. Trumps rival for the 2024 Republican...

Olympic Games are great for propagandists – how the lessons of Hitler's Olympics loom over Beijing 2022

Nov 13, 2021 07:48 am UTC| Sports

On the morning of Aug. 14, 1936, two NBC employees met for breakfast at a café in Berlin. Max Jordan and Bill Slater were discussing the Olympic Games they were broadcasting back to the United States and the Nazi...

Aiming for novelty in coronavirus coverage, journalists end up sensationalizing the trivial and untrue

May 20, 2020 15:21 pm UTC| Insights & Views

For centuries, what has made news valuable and news organizations profitable has been the speed at which journalists collect and disseminate information. This is useful for both commerce and public service. But the rush...

The first fireside chat calmed an anxious nation and provides a model for today

Mar 12, 2020 15:48 pm UTC| Politics

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his advisers knew he had to do something. The U.S. banking system faced imminent collapse; depositors around the country waited anxiously in line to withdraw their funds. To stop the...

Misinformation, evasion and the informational problem of live TV interviews

Oct 02, 2019 02:59 am UTC| Insights & Views Business

First, it happened on Fox News. Chris Wallace asked White House adviser Stephen Miller about the presidents decision to use private lawyers to get information from the Ukrainian government rather than go through …...

Audiences love the anger: Alex Jones, or someone like him, will be back

Aug 08, 2018 11:31 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Confrontational characters spouting conspiracy theories and promoting fringe ideas have been with us since the invention of American broadcasting. First on radio, then on television, the American audience has consistently...

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Economy

Epson Unveils Eco-Friendly Printers in South Korea for Sustainability

Epson Korea recently debuted its line of environmentally-friendly printers. The machines are multi-functional and designed for businesses in the country. The Korea Times reported that the new Epson printers are...

CEO: It Doesn't Make Sense for Ferrari to Buy Other Supercar Makers

Ferrari CEO Benedetto Vigna reveals the companys strategic focus on partnerships and in-house innovation rather than acquiring other sports car makers. The luxury car brand aims to maintain its DNA while actively exploring...

Burger King Unveils Plant-Based 'Burgerrito' in Menu Expansion; Peter Perdue Promoted to COO

Burger King is spicing up its menu with a test run of the Burgerrito, a plant-based burger featuring a blend of beans, corn, and Mexican spices, priced at $5.75. This move caters to the growing demand for non-meat options,...

Spotify Slashes Podcast Team: 200 Jobs Cut in Strategic Realignment

Spotify announced Monday the layoff of 200 employees, affecting its podcast division in a significant strategic realignment. This accounts for two percent of the global workforce, part of a bid to enhance partnerships with...

China Gezhouba Group to Drive Renewable Energy Potential in Azerbaijan: Landmark Agreement Signed

China Gezhouba Group and Azerbaijans government partner to assess utility-scale solar, wind energy, and integrated smart energy system investments, targeting a 2 GW development by 2025. The meeting between Azeri energy...

Politics

Russia-Ukraine War: NATO to Narrow Divisions Over Ukraine's Membership Bid in Oslo Meeting

The foreign ministers of the NATO countries are looking to narrow down the divisions surrounding Ukraines bid to join the alliance in the upcoming meeting in Oslo this week. This comes as Ukraines allies are also at odds...

EU Parliament to Question Hungary's Ability to Hold EU Presidency Over Record on Rule of Law

The European Parliament is set to question Hungarys ability to hold the European Unions rotating presidency next year. The EU parliament cited Hungarys record on the rule of law. A draft parliamentary resolution by the...

Iran: IAEA Resolves Nuclear Issues Related to Sites With Uranium Particles

The International Atomic Energy Agency has reportedly resolved the nuclear issues with Iran related to a site where uranium particles were found. The issue comes as talks to restore the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran remain...

UK: Ministers Given More Time to Turn in Messages From Boris Johnson to Public COVID Inquiry

British ministers were given more time to turn in messages from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson as part of the public inquiry into the governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The extra time comes amid a...

Science

Drilling down on treatment-resistant fungi with molecular machines

`Fungi are present on the skin of around 70% of the population, without causing harm or benefit. Some fungal infections, like athletes foot, are minor. Others, like Candida albicans, can be deadly especially for...

Astronomers detected two major targets with a single telescope – a mysterious signal and its source galaxy

Astronomers have been working to better understand the galactic environments of fast radio bursts (FRBs) intense, momentary bursts of energy occurring in mere milliseconds and with unknown cosmic origins. Now, a study...

Biodegradable plastic in clothing doesn't break down nearly as quickly as hoped – new research

Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Over 100 million tonnes of plastic enters the environment each year, with more than 10 million tonnes ending up in our oceans....

Gravitational wave detector LIGO is back online after 3 years of upgrades – how the world's most sensitive yardstick reveals secrets of the universe

After a three-year hiatus, scientists in the U.S. have just turned on detectors capable of measuring gravitational waves - tiny ripples in space itself that travel through the universe. Unlike light waves, gravitational...

Why don't rocks burn?

While many rocks dont burn, some of them do. It depends on what the rocks are made of and thats related to how they were formed. There are three main rock types: igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic. These rocks are...

Technology

Microsoft Reportedly Removing Activision Blizzard From UK to Fight Acquisition Roadblock

Microsoft Corporation is reportedly planning to pull out Activision Blizzard from the United Kingdom, which has previously blocked its acquisition deal with the Santa Monica, California-headquartered video game holding...

Korea’s Netmarble Set to Release Three New Game Titles to Stop Losses

Netmarble Corporation, a South Korean mobile game developer which is also considered the largest mobile-gaming firm in the country, is set to release three new games, and the drops are starting in July. According to The...

Meta Platforms Threaten to Block News Access in California Over Ad Revenue-Sharing Bill

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, warned it may deny California users access to news content if a proposed law requiring tech companies to share ad revenue with publishers is passed. The...

Samsung Partners With Dezeen for Global 'Re:Create Design Challenge' to Upcycle Old Devices

Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with UK design magazine Dezeen, announces the Re:Create Design Challenge, a global contest aimed at upcycling and recycling old Samsung devices. The initiative reflects Samsungs...

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to Spearhead ByteDance's Rising Social Media Star, Lemon8

ByteDance taps TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew to steer Lemon8, its fresh social media app, amid a corporate reshuffle and escalating tension between TikTok and the West. Launched in February, the lifestyle-oriented Lemon8 has...
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