On Sunday, President Trump demanded that Joe Biden, his Democratic opponent, take a drug test ahead of (or just after) their first debate, which is tonight. “His Debate performances have been record setting UNEVEN, to put it mildly,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Only drugs could have caused this discrepancy???” Biden initially declined to respond, but his campaign subsequently did decide to clap back. “Vice President Biden intends to deliver his debate answers in words. If the president thinks his best case is made in urine he can have at it,” a spokesperson said. “We’d expect nothing less from Donald Trump, who pissed away the chance to protect the lives of 200K Americans when he didn’t make a plan to stop COVID-19.” Thus was the tone set for a debate that may prove to be up there with the most consequential in American history. In the buildup, mainstream media coverage has been more high-minded—though not always by much. Many reporters and pundits have, as is their wont, rushed to gamify the stakes—comparing them explicitly to sports, and babbling about winners and losers, offense and defense, expectations and tactics, narratives and polls. Moral considerations have often been secondary to optics, or shrouded in euphemisms or false equivalency. The New York Times referred to Trump’s despicable drug-test smear as evidence of “an absence of guardrails”; news outlets have cast the president’s debate “style,” as, variously, “unconventional,” “brash and unorthodox,”... Continue reading at 'Columbia Journalism Review'
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-09-29 12:19:19 UTC ]
In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, another critical transformation looms for public libraries. And the American public is counting on librarians to get it right. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-05-15 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The beginnings of Poems on the UndergroundPoems on the Underground started life in 1986 as an experiment by three friends, me (the writer Judith Chernaik) and the poets Cicely Herbert and Gerard Benson, all of us keen poetry lovers. We persuaded London Underground to post a few poems on its... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-05-04 14:39:46 UTC ]
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The American Library Association has released its annual list of the most frequently challenged books, and while Harry Potter (and the Order of the Godless Friends) and The Handmaid’s Tale (hold on now, you’re saying this is a dys-topia?) managed to squeak into the top ten, the other eight on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-20 13:59:19 UTC ]
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The value of public libraries is rarely questioned in times of crisis—think of the New Orleans Public Library after Hurricane Katrina, or the Ferguson Municipal Public Library during the unrest there. But this crisis is different. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Though many public libraries in the U.S. are completely shut, employees at some are concerned that they have been asked to continue showing up for work. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-04-14 23:04:05 UTC ]
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Both Google and Facebook have acted surprisingly quickly to remove disinformation related to the COVID-19 virus over the past few weeks, considering their somewhat mixed track record when it comes to removing hoaxes, conspiracy theories, and trolls related to political campaigns. But experts... Continue reading at Columbia Journalism Review
[ Columbia Journalism Review | 2020-04-09 11:45:11 UTC ]
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In The Freckle Report 2020, Tim Coates offers a sobering, data-driven view of the state of public libraries in the U.S. and the U.K. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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With public libraries closed, the Internet Archive announced an initiative to offer 1.4 million books for free online—reopening a heated copyright debate. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2020-03-30 17:57:54 UTC ]
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Shuttering public libraries puts a strain on communities—even if it’s the only way to keep people safe. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2020-03-23 20:35:01 UTC ]
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More and more public libraries are temporarily closing shop across the country to limit the spread of coronavirus, but their Wi-Fi can still be a valuable resource for communities, the American Library Association said Monday. Libraries that close should leave their Wi-Fi open to the public... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-03-23 18:01:46 UTC ]
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Why are Chicago Public Library branches still open to the public during this global health crisis? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-03-19 12:06:40 UTC ]
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This morning, both the Chief Librarian of the Brooklyn Public Library and the President of the New York Public Library released statements announcing that they would be cancelling public library programs for the rest of March, in an effort to limit the spread of COVID-19 and encourage social... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-03-12 16:51:47 UTC ]
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Minnesota House Republicans threaten to slash funding to public libraries hosting Drag Queen Story Time. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-03-12 10:43:18 UTC ]
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The bills propose to give elected parental review boards the power to decide which “age-appropriate" materials can be accessible to minors within a public library, with librarians who don’t comply with the board’s decisions subject to prison time. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster (S&S) has struck a new partnership with public libraries in the UK Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-16 17:38:06 UTC ]
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A proposed law in Missouri would fine, and possibly jail, librarians who provide books to children that a parental board deemed inappropriate, a policy so extreme that it has attracted national attention. House Bill 2044, or “the Parental Oversight of Public Libraries Act,” introduced by... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-16 16:35:23 UTC ]
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Public Libraries around the world generated a record level of digital content circulation in 2019, providing patrons access to more than 326 million e-books, audiobooks and digital magazines, according to a report by Rakuten OverDrive, a digital distribution vendor for libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-01-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Arts Council England (ACE) could make funding public libraries one of its priorities over the next decade, the organisation’s c.e.o. has said. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-01-03 11:55:05 UTC ]
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Bedbugs in public libraries are becoming routine. Luckily, there are a few things that librarians can do to stop them...starting with preparation. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2019-12-17 11:32:47 UTC ]
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Four years after Sarah Kendzior forecasted Trump’s win, the bestselling author reflects on the rise of online propaganda, the need for transparent algorithms, and why social media is more dangerous than ever. Sarah Kendzior was a lone voice in the wilderness predicting the victory of Donald... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2019-11-28 09:00:16 UTC ]
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