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Lorcan Neill

@lorcancneill.bsky.social
2K followers 278 following 67 posts

PhD Candidate at UNC Hussman & CITAP | Studying politics, sports, & digital media | GW SMPA & NC State alum

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Lorcan Neill
Tech Policy Press @techpolicypress.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
On the Tech Policy Press podcast, editor Justin Hendrix talks with UNC Chapel Hill researchers Daniel Kreiss and Lorcan Neill about their new paper, "Militant Platform Democracy: A Framework for Democracy-Worthy Platform Policies." "Platforms have to proceed from an analysis of power," Kreiss says.
techpolicy.press
Why Social Media Platforms Should Adopt a 'Militant Democracy' Framework
Daniel Kreiss and Lorcan Neill on what social media platforms should do when the state itself becomes a threat to democracy.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
If you’d like to read the full piece, check it out here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Militant platform democracy: a framework for democracy-worthy platform policies
This commentary draws on the long-established concept of militant democracy
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Huge thanks to @justinhendrix.bsky.social and the @techpolicypress.bsky.social podcast for having @dkreiss.bsky.social and I on to discuss our new paper on social media platforms and militant democracy!
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Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
One of the most apparent truths about universities in this era is that student journalists have tended to exhibit the greatest courage and tenacity when it comes to applying their institutional mottos and academic lessons to the world.
nytimes.com
The Student Journalists Who Never Let the Cornell Assault Case Go (Gift Article)
The student newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, covered the allegations of rape at a fraternity house since they were first made in 2024 and led the reporting on the case.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Link to the full article: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Militant platform democracy: a framework for democracy-worthy platform policies
This commentary draws on the long-established concept of militant democracy
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
I'd love to talk more about this work at #AEJMC26 or #APSA26 with anyone who is interested. I'm also on the academic #jobmarket this year and would be excited to explore opportunities to continue this kind of work in the next stage of my career.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
This work would not have been possible without my amazing co-author, advisor, and mentor @dkreiss.bsky.social as well as the support we received from @citap.bsky.social.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
On a more personal note, this project has been one of my favorites to work on during my PhD. It combines rich theoretical insights with clear, prescriptive takeaways that extend beyond the academy.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Thus, we hope to offer clarity here about how anti-democratic actors weaponize platforms and what platforms can do to hold the line.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
We believe that what is most needed at this moment is democratic clarity. We need clarity about how and why democracies are under threat, clarity that we value democracy, and clarity about what must be done to fight for democratic rights and freedoms.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Our goal here is to draw a red line and start a conversation surrounding pro-democratic commercial content moderation. We specifically focus on contexts where states are backsliding or where anti-democratic forces have already taken power, making government regulation of platforms dangerous.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Drawing on case studies from the US, Brazil, and India during recent or ongoing periods of autocratization, we show how these principles would help protect against anti-democratic threats, especially from political leaders who weaponize these platforms to amass power.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Under this framework, we propose that platforms adopt eight ‘democracy-worthy principles’ to protect and strengthen democratic norms, institutions, and publics.
Table of democracy-worthy platform principles
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
The central idea of militant democracy is that democratic states can and should preemptively restrict the rights of individuals, groups, and parties who threaten democratic institutions. In essence, states should not let autocratic actors use the levers of democracy to destroy democracy.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Drawing on the concept of militant democracy, which was first developed during the 1930s as the world grappled with the rise of fascism, we outline how these principles can be applied to social media content moderation today.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
🚨 I'm excited to share a new 🔓 #OpenAccess piece from @dkreiss.bsky.social and I out now in Information, Communication & Society: Militant platform democracy: a framework for democracy-worthy platform policies. 🧵 A short thread:
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Read the full article here: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Inaccuracies, omissions, and bullshit: 2024 U.S. elections through the eyes of ChatGPT
This study evaluated the accuracy, quality, and implications of outputs produced by generative artificial intelligences (AI) related to politics and electoral processes during the 2024 United State...
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
👋 Oh, and did I mention I am on the academic #jobmarket this year? 😉 If this work sounds like a fit for your department, let's talk!
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
💼 I would love to chat about this work with anyone interested in the intersection of #platformgovernance, #AI, and #democracy! I'll be at #AEJMC in August and #APSA in September. If you're around, drop me a line!
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
🗳️ This study illustrates the need for new frameworks for accountability in generative AI, particularly as voluntary industry safeguards fail to protect democratic information environments.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
💡 We argue that the recent shift from social media to generative AI represents a fundamental evolution in platform power: a move from curative governance (providing information by sorting human speech) to generative governance (providing information by generating speech).
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
‼️ From presenting users with inaccurate electoral information, omitting vital context surrounding important political issues, to fabricating entirely false campaign platforms for candidates, we ultimately paint a picture of a technology ill-equipped for democratic elections.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
📄 Along with the brilliant @heesoojang.bsky.social and @shannimcg.bsky.social, we conducted a novel mixed-methods study of #OpenAI's #ChatGPT-4o mini during the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Spoiler alert: ChatGPT did not perform well.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
🚨 I'm thrilled to share a new 🔓 #OpenAccess article out now in Information, Communication & Society: Inaccuracies, omissions, and bullshit: 2024 U.S. elections through the eyes of ChatGPT A quick 🧵:
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Reposted by Lorcan Neill
Curd Knüpfer @curdknupfer.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Very cool project presented by @shannimcg.bsky.social and @lorcancneill.bsky.social on the US press "game framing" the country's decent into authoritarianism. Very cool approach comparing domestic to foreign desk coverage.
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The Athletic @theathletic.com · 26/01/2026
The last three times a new Pope was elected, the Seahawks have made the Super Bowl as the No. 1 seed. ◽️ 2005: Pope Benedict XVI elected, SEA to SB XL ◽️ 2013: Pope Francis elected, SEA to SB XLVIII ◽️ 2025: Pope Leo XIV elected, SEA to SB LV
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Stephanie M. Lee @stephaniemlee.bsky.social · 19/12/2025
The UNC system just released its final policy on mandatory syllabi disclosure, stating that syllabi are university (not faculty) IP and certain course info must be posted on new, publicly searchable databases before every semester. A thread about what's changed from the draft I reported on earlier:
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 05/10/2025
Yep. Same tension can be seen even in sports like NASCAR.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 17/09/2025
good news does exist: www.wral.com/lifestyle/tr...
wral.com
RDU will offer direct flight to Dublin with airline Aer Lingus, coming in 2026
Raleigh travelers can board direct flights to Ireland beginning next year, Raleigh-Durham International Airport announced Wednesday.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
and instead embracing the more challenging work of developing comprehensive, nuanced approaches that recognize both the limitations and possibilities of technical intervention. Special thanks to @citap.bsky.social for the support! [4/4]
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
as well as the complexity of youth well-being - resulting in laws that ultimately do little to actually keep youth safe online. We argue that safer online environments requires abandoning the fallacy that we can simply “nerd harder” our way to youth safety... [3/]
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
We analyze recently enacted state-level child online safety laws (COSLs) and demonstrate how different techno-legal solutionist logics manifest in these legislative efforts. Our analysis illustrates that these logics fundamentally misunderstand the social and political shaping of technology... [2/]
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
🚨 🔓 📄 New academic year, new open access publication! Happy to share a new co-authored paper with Amanda Reid & @evanringel3.bsky.social in Policy & Internet: Nerd Harder: A Typology of Techno-Legal Solutionist Logics in Child Online Safety Laws [1/] onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Policy & Internet | PSO Journal | Wiley Online Library
As jurisdictions worldwide grapple with regulating social media's effects on youth, US state legislatures have emerged as important laboratories for “techno-legal solutionism”—the belief that complex...
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
Congratulations, Jo!! Thrilled for you and can't wait to see all the amazing work you'll do at DDC!
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
I'm about to teach my first polcomm class and have had many of these same thoughts and feelings as I've pulled materials together. Thanks for sharing!
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Reposted by Lorcan Neill
Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · 22/07/2025
Sharing my latest pub, "News Inside: What Mainstream Journalism Can Learn From the Radical Humanism of Prison Journalism." Particularly proud b/c incarcerated/formerly incarcerated folks can teach us a lot about democracy & media. A pleasure to collaborate w/ @lizhallgren.bsky.social on this:
journals.sagepub.com
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Claes de Vreese @claesdevreese.bsky.social · 18/07/2025
It is not good when DSA enforcement becomes a trade/ geopolitical bargaining chip … “The European Commission pauses the investigation into DSA violations by X to maintain peace with the United States” itdaily.com/news/busines...
itdaily.com
X Receives a Delay on DSA Fine
The European Commission pauses the investigation into DSA violations by X to maintain peace with the United States.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 15/06/2025
I'll be presenting my work on US far-right media coverage of the 2023 anti-immigrant riot in Dublin, Ireland this afternoon at #ICA25 in Denver. Come say hi if you're around or if you're interested in transnational far-right media coverage!
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 13/06/2025
Had a fantastic time at my first hackathon learning lots of new things from some amazing researchers! #hackica25 #ica25
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Sarah J. Jackson @sjjphd.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
My primary professional organization, which alternates annual meeting locations each year, has moved its 2027 conference out of the U.S. - where it was already booked - saying it will hold no more meetings during the current admin after this year in the U.S. This is unprecedented to my knowledge.
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Kate Starbird @katestarbird.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
Thinking about devastating cuts to NSF: US gov-funded science has been the engine upon which most of the tech wealth was generated. But the oligarchs (currently hoarding much of that $) think it’s their own brilliance & not the accident of standing close to the scientific engine that made them rich.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
www.youtube.com/watch?v=keWn...
youtube.com
The Foggy Dew - Sinéad O’Connor & The Chieftains, 1995
YouTube video by CR's Video Vaults
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 20/04/2025
www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_nu...
youtube.com
Come Out Ye Black & Tans
YouTube video by The Wolfe Tones - Topic
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
God’s country
NASCAR Xfinity series racking at Rockingham Speedway in NC.
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
“I truly believe I have accomplished the American Dream and as an immigrant, on behalf of all immigrants, that’s all we ask for — to be given a fair and honest chance of fulfilling our hopes and dreams.”
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 14/04/2025
Times are tough right now. Which makes celebrating those around us who are making a difference all the more important. Today, that means showcasing my incredible mom! A proud immigrant and lifelong educator who always puts her students first: online-distance.ncsu.edu/2025/04/14/g...
online-distance.ncsu.edu
Teaching Full Circle: Liz Kennedy's Journey from Irish Roots to ESL Educator
As a veteran teacher and immigrant, Liz Kennedy understands the power of language and belonging. Through the NC State ESL Add-on Licensure Program, she’s taking her journey full circle — helping the n...
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Reposted by Lorcan Neill
ESPN @espn.com · 14/04/2025
RORY MCILROY HAS DONE IT‼️ He wins the Masters and becomes the sixth men's golfer to complete the career Grand Slam 🏆
A graphic highlighting Rory McIlroy's win at the Masters, giving him the career Grand Slam
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
media.tenor.com
a man in a suit and tie with the words uh oh on his chest
ALT: a man in a suit and tie with the words uh oh on his chest
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 23/03/2025
LFG. Go Pack.
Graphic that officially announces Will Wade as the next head coach of the NC State men’s basketball team
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Lorcan Neill @lorcancneill.bsky.social · 17/03/2025
Yet another display of unity between the two most prominent far-right figures in their respective countries. McGregor was a guest at Trump’s second inaugural earlier this year.
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