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Penn in the News
A round-up of Penn mentions in local, national, and international media.
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Penn In the News
Parler sues Amazon, asks court to reinstate platform
David Hoffman of the Law School said Parler’s lawsuit against Amazon has been weakened because Amazon had warned the social media platform about violating the terms of their agreement prior to terminating the account. “There have been repeated warnings over time about Parler’s failure to comply with Amazon’s terms of use,” Hoffman said. “Given those repeated warnings over time, it’s sort of rich to say, ‘You didn’t give us enough time.’”
Penn In the News
The talk radio network that airs Dan Bongino and Mark Levin warned staff to stop ‘dog-whistle talk’
Brian Rosenwald of the School of Arts & Sciences spoke about Cumulus Media, a talk radio company that has instructed employees not to spread misinformation about the presidential election. “Cumulus has a big, broad set of interests—they have advertisers, sports contracts, nonconservative podcasts, dealings with the F.C.C. over station licensing,” Rosenwald said. “They understand that if you get involved in something that risks instigating violence, there’s a serious danger to the bottom line.”
Penn In the News
Our democracy remains intact, thanks to our courts, free press, and right to assembly
Kathleen Hall Jamieson of the Annenberg Public Policy Center wrote an op-ed about the durability of democracy in the U.S. amid polarization, disinformation, and other obstacles. “Individuals exercised constitutional freedoms, especially the mutually reinforcing ones of speech, press, petition, peaceable assembly, and the opportunity to vote—to bend the arc of the country’s history toward justice,” she wrote.
Penn In the News
This Penn student writes YA novels with her sister. Their new book is ‘close to perfection,’ Kirkus says
Graduate School of Education doctoral student Maritza Moulite and her sister, a doctoral student at Howard University, have written a new young-adult novel about racial injustice.
Penn In the News
Does Twitter’s ban violate Trump’s free-speech rights? Likely not, but it raises questions about social media platforms, Philly experts say
Diana Mutz of the Annenberg School for Communication and School of Arts & Sciences said social media hasn’t enriched the quality of elected leaders’ communication with the public. “What gains traction on social media is outrageousness,” she said. “It incentivizes precisely what we don’t want in political discourse.”
Penn In the News
Confederate battle flag an unnerving sight in Capitol
Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts & Sciences commented on the use of the Confederate flag during the breach of the U.S. Capitol. “To see it flaunted right in front of your face, in the United States Capitol, the heart of the government, was simply outrageous,” she said.
Penn In the News
Study suggests Pfizer vaccine works against virus variant
Frederic Bushman of the Perelman School of Medicine said there’s no reason to think the COVID-19 vaccines won’t work on new strains of the virus. “A mutation will change one little place, but it’s not going to disrupt binding to all of them,” he said.
Penn In the News
Joe Biden could send a message to Black Americans with this reparations bill
Mary Frances Berry of the School of Arts & Sciences said President-elect Joe Biden should support a bill that will create a commission to explore giving reparations to the Black American descendants of enslaved Africans. “Given the role that Black people played in the election, getting him nominated and saving his campaign—there’s no reason they shouldn’t support this bill,” said Berry. “This is one of the best ways to make good on their promise to attack systemic racism and white supremacy and elevate the economic and social condition of Black people.”
Penn In the News
The composer Tyshawn Sorey enters a new phase
Tyshawn Sorey of the School of Arts & Sciences was profiled for his accomplishments as a musician, composer, and academic.
Penn In the News
Conservative media decry Capitol riot, but grievances remain
Brian Rosenwald of the School of Arts & Sciences said conservative media figures may hesitate to issue retractions or contradict President Trump. “Introspection and regret would require peeling back the curtain and admitting that in the interest of putting on the best show possible, they often use hyperbolic or ... extreme presentations because they are more gripping or entertaining than nuance,” Rosenwald said.