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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD

@jjsylvia.bsky.social
366 followers 951 following 135 posts

Associate Professor of Communications Media. I teach and research posthumanism, critical data studies, disinformation, creative coding, and communication law and ethics. Covid Cautious.

PostsRepliesMedia
J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
We’re excited to announce the Handbook of Critical Data Studies, which offers a multidisciplinary examination of the datafication of our lives. tnyr.me#NAUVTms1Dm #HCDS I've contributed a chapter on "A Critical Approach to Free Speech and Counter Speech in the Era of Digital Disinformation."
An image showing the cover of the book.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
Honored to share that I’ve received a Fulbright Global Challenges Teaching award in Peace and Democracy! www.telegram.com/story/news/e...
telegram.com
Fitchburg State course will connect local students, peers in Scotland
The course will promote learning and international relations between local students in Fitchburg and students at the University of Glasgow.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 02/03/2026
A peer-reviewed open-access anthology of original #MediaCriticism produced by my students! Each chapter applies critical methods to analyze how film, TV, and video games reflect, reinforce, or resist cultural anxieties about #ArtificialIntelligence. #OER openbooks.fitchburgstate.edu/critiquingai...
openbooks.fitchburgstate.edu
Critiquing AI in Media
Students explore how AI is presented in film, TV, and video games.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
My kiddos will be playing and selling their softball showdown game at the Indie #boardgame Showcase in #boston this Saturday. Come play with us! Use the code “softball” for 10% off tickets. www.eventbrite.com/e/indie-boar...
eventbrite.com
Indie Board Game Showcase in Boston!
Come play different games built by local Boston-area designers and meet the brilliant minds who created them.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Check out my post about using a custom class instance of Mastodon to teach about the ethics of social media and moderation: www.socialmediaalternatives.org/2026/01/12/t...
socialmediaalternatives.org
Teaching Mastodon: Ethics, Moderation, and the Work of Participation
NB: This post is we hope the first of several which discusses the use of alternative social media in the classroom. In this post, ASM Research Network member JJ Sylvia IV discusses teaching Mastodon i...
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
My new book is out: LiveJournal and Russian Disinformation: The Rise of Epistemic Sabotage (Bloomsbury). It traces how LiveJournal became an early testing ground for influence tactics that later scaled outward. Please consider reposting to share! #misinformation #disinformation #mediastudies
bloomsbury.com
LiveJournal and Russian Disinformation
In LiveJournal and Russian Disinformation, J.J. Sylvia IV analyzes the role of blogging platform LiveJournal in Russia's information warfare strategy, examining…
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
This was a fun read: Body Slams, Curated: Pro Wrestling Enters Its Museum Era www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/a...
nytimes.com
Body Slams, Curated: Pro Wrestling Enters Its Museum Era
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Reposted by J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD
Joshua Foust 🪖🎮 @joshuafoust.com · 21/10/2025
Anyone else think it’s sort of funny how AWS laid off 40% of its DevOps staff in July because AI made them “redundant” and then it suffered a catastrophic outage?
aws.plainenglish.io
AWS Laid Off 40% of Its DevOps Staff — What They’re Using Instead Will Shock You
- By Sandesh (5 + Years of DevOps | CI/CD | AWS | k8 | DevSecOps)
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Rolling Stone @rollingstone.com · 16/10/2025
Long Covid Is Real — And It’s Changing an Entire Generation Hundreds of thousands of kids in America are struggling with an illness that many doctors and schools refuse to recognize.e Feature: www.rollingstone.com/culture/cult...
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Mark Bray @mark-bray.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Spoke with cnn while sitting on the floor of my hotel room hallway bc my family were asleep in the other room.
next.frame.io
6a E Mark.mp4 - 6a E Mark - Frame.io
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
I think we’re really going to have to do a lot more of this. A massive deprogramming so that people can read more than ten words at a time without anxiety. www.thetimes.com/uk/education...?
thetimes.com
Universities teaching literature students how to cope with long novels
Critics blame GCSE English for deterring teenagers from the subject, describing the literature syllabus as boring and repetitive
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Dr Satoshi Akima, FRACP @toshiakima.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Just as COVID never ended so too the Spanish flu pandemic never ended either. But we now have the technology to end them both with an indoor air revolution. Two birds, one stone #COVIDisAirborne #InfluenzaIsAirborne
history.com
Why the 1918 Flu Pandemic Never Really Ended | HISTORY
After infecting millions of people worldwide, the 1918 flu strain shifted—and then stuck around.
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Anna Kornbluh @annakornbluh.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
public goods "47% have “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher ed institutions, w a net positive rating of 33—up 13 points since 2023. more confidence in higher ed than in the police (44%), the medical system (38%)+large tech companies (25%)" www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-t...
insidehighered.com
Poll: Public Confidence in Higher Ed Growing
Despite the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on colleges and universities, American confidence in higher education is growing.
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Dave Statter @statter911.bsky.social · 24/09/2025
How many recognized @jimmykimmel.com's opening line was a tribute to Jack Paar? "As I was saying before I was interrupted," was Paar's opener upon his return after walking off the Tonight Show for 7 weeks in 1960 when NBC censors cut a joke about a water closet (bathroom). youtu.be/c1tjh_ZO_tY?...
youtu.be
Jimmy Kimmel is Back!
YouTube video by Jimmy Kimmel Live
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—>realhackhistory.org @bsky.realhackhistory.org · 22/09/2025
Love to give this guy control over a video streaming platform www.404media.co/larry-elliso...
404media.co
Larry Ellison's AI-Powered Surveillance Dystopia Is Already Here
"Citizens will be on their best behavior, because we’re constantly recording and reporting everything that’s going on."
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Ida Bae Wells @nhannahjones.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
I meant this deeply: My work now is all dissent work. I write for a future I likely will not see.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 21/09/2025
New post: ALFA Class: Technologies of Truth: Russian History from Cyrillic to Cyberwar jjsylvia.com/alfa-class-t...
jjsylvia.com
J.J. Sylvia IV: ALFA Class: Technologies of Truth: Russian History from Cyrillic to Cyberwar
Outline of my Adult Learning class on the history of Russian media, including a breakdown of the schedule and suggested movies to watch before each class.
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Reposted by J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD
Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 01/08/2025
I’m doing this! I’ve been working on it for months. All my newsletters, pub updates, gallery announcements, etc, are moving over to RSS. Then I’m unsubscribing from, like, 3000 mailing lists + quitting social media. Reverting to my Google Reader days, w/o the Google part 📬🍻🏖️
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onion person @junlper.beer · 18/09/2025
it looks like the only way to have honest media is directly support them. i currently subscribe to WIRED and rolling stone, and about to subscribe to 404 media. any other WOKE and antifa media orgs i should support?
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Spooky Back From The Dead Lazarus @jlazarus.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
When we told you democracy was on the ballot we weren’t lying.
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wobblerocket 🎲🎮 @wobblerocket.com · 18/09/2025
As you cancel streaming services, here is a casual reminder that only 16% of Americans read for pleasure anymore, and your local library has hundreds or thousands of books you haven't read. They would love to see you stop by and renew your library card.
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Laura Anne Gilman @lauraannegilman.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
www.nytimes.com/1939/02/04/a...
Headline from the New York Times, 1939: “Goebbels ends careers of five “Aryan“ actors who made witticisms about the Nazi regime.”
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Cynthia Brumfield @metacurity.com · 18/09/2025
www.theguardian.com/world/2003/j... One of Putin’s first acts after he solidified power was to silence all media outlets that criticized him.
theguardian.com
Putin pulls plug on last critical TV channel
The Kremlin yesterday abruptly silenced TVS, Russia's only remaining independent TV station, raising renewed concern for press freedom in Russia ahead of a state visit to Britain by President Vladimir...
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Beth Popp Berman @epopppp.bsky.social · 18/09/2025
You know things are rough when the AAUP's advice on how to use social media is just "set all your accounts to private."
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
Russia's latest with AI and disinformation: www.404media.co/russian-stat...
404media.co
Russian State TV Launches AI-Generated News Satire Show
An AI-generated show on Russian TV includes Trump singing obnoxious songs and talking about golden toilets.
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Elise Thomas @elisethomas.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
Russia designated the 'LGBT Movement' as a terrorist organisation. They know there is no such group; that's the point. It means they can choose to arrest ANYONE with any association with LGBT issues and treat them as a terrorist. The fact that 'antifa' is not a group should not be a comfort here.
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keep your electric eye on me @ubisurv.net · 13/09/2025
The whole discourse of digital sovereignty is massively problematic. Even as authoritarian states like Iran and China use this to create surveillable space, too many on, even on the left, seem to think digital sovereignty or nationalism is some kind of progressive answer to platform capitalism.
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Scott Kelley Ernest 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ @mxscottkernest.bsky.social · 10/09/2025
Poland closest to open conflict since World War Two, PM says after Russian drones shot down - live updates www.bbc.com/news/live/c2...
bbc.com
Poland closest to open conflict since World War Two, PM says after Russian drones shot down - live updates
Prime Minister Donald Tusk says up to four of 19 Russian drones were shot down after entering Polish airspace.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Russia Steps Up Disinformation Efforts as Trump Abandons Resistance www.nytimes.com/2025/09/07/b...
nytimes.com
Russia Steps Up Disinformation Efforts as Trump Abandons Resistance
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 04/08/2025
The cover for my book is now live! LiveJournal and Russian Disinformation: The Rise of Epistemic Sabotage releases on December 11th! www.bloomsbury.com/us/livejourn...
Book cover featuring titled notes on post and an image of two grenades, made of keyboard keys that spell “news”
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
Is anyone who teaches law in the U.S. teaching about the relationship between fascism and the rule of law? Suggested readings? Approaches?
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 27/07/2025
This is a fun read. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/26/b...
nytimes.com
He Read (at Least) 3,599 Books in His Lifetime. Now Anyone Can See His List. - The New York Times
After Dan Pelzer died this month at 92, his children uploaded the handwritten reading list to what-dan-read.com, hoping to inspire readers everywhere.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
Wired interview with BlueSky CEO. Monetization is coming. Enshittification likely won’t be far behind.
How do you plan to make money?
Subscriptions are coming soon. The next steps are to look into what marketplaces can span these different applications. Other apps in the ecosystem are experimenting with sponsored posts and things like that. I think ads eventually, in some form, work their way in, but we’re not going to do ads the way traditional social apps did. We’ll let people experiment and see what comes out of it.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 22/06/2025
When I got into the weeds understanding COVID, I said we were going to eventually figure out heart disease is linked to the common cold.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
My kids spent two years making a game they love and now have launched it on Kickstarter. I k ow the world is crazy right now, but if you’re able to support their project, it would bring a lot of joy to two kiddos. #softball #boardgames #kickstarter www.kickstarter.com/projects/240...
kickstarter.com
Softball Showdown: A Game of Strategy and Chance by J.J. Sylvia IV — Kickstarter
Created by two sisters as part of homeschool, this tabletop game blends sports, strategy, and fun.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
It might be time to revive Bauldrillard's simulacrum theory.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 10/05/2025
My friend and high school classmate, Jess Ruliffson, was a Pulitzer finalist in illustrated reporting for her series in the Boston Globe. It's fantastic work, and you should check it out now: apps.bostonglobe.com/opinion/grap...
apps.bostonglobe.com
True stories from an ICU: Was it right to keep her alive?
An ICU nurse explores the impact of end-of-life care in an illustrated opinion piece.
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Reposted by J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD
Owen Bonney @owenbonney.bsky.social · 05/05/2025
@jjsylvia.bsky.social #mediacrit Orwell: Keeping An Eye On You is one of the most shocking and engrossing games that I have played in a while, having kept me on the edge of my seat during the entire play through. #Orwell #gaming #bigbrotheriswatching
Cover art for ORWELL: Keeping An Eye On You
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 02/05/2025
You either die young or live long enough to see yourself become the conspiracy theorist.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 29/04/2025
Student post for #MediaCrit: Hatsune Miku is a Japanese vocaloid that has gained the most popularity out of all the vocaloids by far.
Hatsune Miku smiling and winking while holding a melon soda dessert, surrounded by playful, pastel-colored graphics such as musical notes, candies, ice cream cones, and various sweets, all set against a vibrant, geometric patterned background in shades of teal, green, and pink.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 21/04/2025
Student post for #MediaCrit: By showing how individuals might get obsessed with a celebrity's image rather than their actual life, Simone provides a blistering evaluation of how audiences interact with celebrity culture.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 16/04/2025
Student post for #MediaCrit: S1m0ne places critique on audience interactions with celebrities, showing how audiences can become so obsessed with a person’s image that they disregard other key factors about this person. S1m0ne’s fame rose so quickly that she became well known for being well known.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 08/04/2025
Student Post #MediaCrit: In The Social Dilemma, a mother buys a lock box to try to minimize phone use and make the most of family time. It cannot be opened until that time has passed. Would you try this? What kind of boundaries do you think are necessary for parents to set regarding screen time?
A cell phone is stored in a clear container that is locked for the duration of a timer.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Learning from WW2 Italian Era Anti-Fascist Rhetoric in the Age of Social Media Virtual Event with Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV 📅 April 7, 2025 🕧 12:30 pm eastern 🔗 jjsylvia.link/talk FSU Speakers Series (With logos for Community Read and Fitchburg State University - Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library)
Learning from WW2 Italian Era Anti-Fascist Rhetoric in the Age of Social Media
Virtual Event with Dr. J.J. Sylvia IV

📅 April 7, 2025
🕧 12:30 pm eastern

🔗 https://jjsylvia.link/talk

FSU Speakers Series

(With logos for Community Read and Fitchburg State University - Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library)
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 02/04/2025
Looking forward to my @aacu.org presentations at #AACUFDI this week! @fsucommmedia.bsky.social
J.J. Sylvia IV
“AI and OER: Cultivating a Community of Practice at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Open …

Session with big attendance!
Saturday April 05, 2025 / 04:30 PM - 05:20 PM

HIGHLY ATTENDED SESSION2025 AAC&U Conference on Learning and Student Success (CLASS)
Saturday April 05, 2025 / 04:30 PM - 05:20 PM
Session with big attendance!

“AI and OER: Cultivating a Community of Practice at the Intersection of Artificial Intelligence …”

J.J. Sylvia IV
+ 1 other speakers

HIGHLY ATTENDED SESSION
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
Student post for #MediaCrit: Ashley O’s persona wasn’t just in the episode of Black Mirror, they marketed her to us IRL! Miley Cyrus released “On a Roll” … and it’s on YouTube under the name Ashley O. #BlackMirror #AshleyO #MileyCyrus #OnARoll
Miley Cirus as Ashley O on Black Mirror.
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Shane Harris @shaneharris.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
In 25 years of covering national security, I’ve never seen a story like this: Senior Trump officials discussed planning for the U.S. attack on Yemen in a Signal group--and inadvertently added the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic. www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
theatlantic.com
The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans
U.S. national-security leaders included me in a group chat about upcoming military strikes in Yemen. I didn’t think it could be real. Then the bombs started falling.
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
I was at a conference about a decade ago with folks from Columbia, and their presentation was about how they couldn’t be pro-democracy/democratic values in the classroom because that would be biased. I learned a lot about Columbia and myself that day.
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Michael "Fallen Coffee Pot of Shadows" Senters the Sigillite:ABD @mikesenters.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
I’m just gonna say it. At this point, if you aren’t fairly familiar with the neo-reactionary “Dark Enlightenment” movement that Moldbug and Land built up and Thiel became a champion of… you simply are not qualified to talk about Republican Politics anymore. The Republican Party is neo-reactionary /1
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J.J. Sylvia IV, PhD @jjsylvia.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Student #MediaCrit thread on The Social Dilemma: The social dilemma presents important representations of human agency and tech corporations in the lens of what is and what can be humane technology.
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