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Lauren Tokos

@ltokos.bsky.social
111 followers 119 following 56 posts

PhD-ing @ UPenn Annenberg Political economy, communication history, satellites, and suppression of dissent Cat mom and Oregonian 🐈‍⬛🌿

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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I urge anyone interested in satellite communication policy to read this piece about the WRC’s agenda item 1.5. The intentions and implications behind this proposal could have a profound impact on digital sovereignty in an age of LEO broadband constellations 🛰️ www.brookings.edu/articles/a-u...
brookings.edu
A UN satellite proposal tests limits of technological sovereignty | Brookings
Lauren Tokos unpacks a controversial UN proposal to restrict satellite broadband and its stakes for U.S. tech policy.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
This is abominable.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Lots to say about the new “licensing assembly line…” Put simply: The FCC created a regulatory boon for vertically integrated companies like SpaceX, hidden beneath the guise of innovation and global leadership in space communication— all to the detriment of the market and consumers.
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Union for Democratic Communications @uniondemcomm.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
The #UDC2026 abstract deadline has been extended to July 19! This year's theme — "Media, Press Freedom, and Cultural Production in an Authoritarian Age" — is as urgent as ever. We want to hear what you're working on. 400–700 word abstracts welcome. Submission/Info here: www.democraticcomm.org
democraticcomm.org
Union for Democratic Communications
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Orbital data centers might sound like a flashy innovation, but they hint at destructive regulatory failures in space communication. You can read all my thoughts in the following @brookings.edu piece: www.brookings.edu/articles/orb...
brookings.edu
Orbital data centers' feasibility gap is a governance risk | Brookings
Lauren Tokos examines the possibility of orbital data centers and regulatory challenges these facilities in space presents.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Proud Oregonian moment. And very proud to be the child of an OJD employee/ advocate. www.doj.state.or.us/media-home/n...
doj.state.or.us
Attorney General Rayfield Secures Approval For 16 New Positions to Fight Corporate Mergers and Monopolies - Oregon Department of Justice
Added positions will expand the Oregon DOJ’s efforts to protect consumers from higher costs and fewer choices This afternoon, the Oregon Legislature’s Emergency Board met and approved Attorney General...
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Went to an incredible exhibit yesterday at the Palazzo Diedo in Venice that touched on AI and the future of humanism. Amazing to see critical ideologies/ perspectives on AI latent in the construction and experience of art.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
So excited to share my new article out in Javnost- The Public! The piece uncovers hidden details about political economist, Robert A. Brady’s, personal history— which was deeply effected by the Cold War’s crusade against suspected communists. It also discusses Brady’s broader relevance to the field.
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Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
A caricature of state propaganda.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Keeping the numbers secret bc Starlink accounts for the majority of its revenue. And god forbid Musk reveal a competitive disadvantage before SpaceX goes public.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
While not necessarily a research interest of mine, I find the trad wife phenomenon fascinating and deeply political. As always, More Perfect Union did an excellent job with this video. A must watch IMHO. youtu.be/dZ-Hsh1B2TA?...
youtu.be
We Found The REAL Reason Gen Z Wants To Be Tradwives
YouTube video by More Perfect Union
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Genuinely curious what people think of this. Seen a lot of press around Anthropic recently and still haven’t formed an opinion. Not exactly what I expected from Sanders, either… youtu.be/h3AtWdeu_G0?...
youtu.be
I spoke to AI agent Claude
YouTube video by Senator Bernie Sanders
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 15/03/2026
Pretty sure this is the opposite of what regulators envisioned when they enacted public interest provisions for American broadcasting. Beyond disheartening to see this phrase being weaponized by Carr. www.nytimes.com/2026/03/14/w...
nytimes.com
F.C.C. Chair Threatens to Revoke Broadcasters’ Licenses Over War Coverage
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 14/03/2026
I read Habermas’ public sphere theory my sophomore year of undergrad in an introductory media studies course. I ended up using his theory for my final paper that term. I had never felt more inspired. His work helped convince me of our field’s importance. I will forever be indebted to his influence.
bbc.com
German philosopher and social critic Jürgen Habermas dies at 96
One the most influential thinkers in post-war Germany, he linked philosophy and political action throughout his life.
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The Nation Magazine @thenation.com · 10/03/2026
The president and his administration have simultaneously relied on and weaponized the law itself to legitimize their violence and their violations. bit.ly/3MUSdVV
bit.ly
The Trump Administration Has Perfected the Performance of Legality
This administration understands that pantomiming rule-following allows it to pursue its ultimate objective of justifying whatever intervention it may deem necessary.
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More Perfect Union @moreperfectunion.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
This guy gets it.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
I find the circumstances surrounding Talarico’s appearance more interesting than him as a senatorial candidate. But if this is what it takes to “flip Texas,” I guess it’s a start … ? youtu.be/oiTJ7Pz_59A?...
youtu.be
Rep. James Talarico On Confronting Christian Nationalism, And Strange Days In The Texas Legislature
YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
To use Chomsky and Herman’s propaganda model, “slopagandists” are creating a “common enemy”— in this case the mainstream media— to mobilize viewers against and “gain their consent” (views).
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PBS News @pbsnews.org · 29/01/2026
The parents of Alex Pretti have retained a former federal prosecutor who helped Minnesota's attorney general convict the police officer who kneeled on George Floyd's neck of murder. to.pbs.org/3ZA2HfU
pbs.org
Family of Alex Pretti retains lawyers who helped prosecute the George Floyd case
The parents of Alex Pretti have retained a former federal prosecutor who helped Minnesota’s attorney general convict the police officer who kneeled on George Floyd’s neck of murder.
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bonleej.bsky.social @bonleej.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
"ICE, CBP, and Border Patrol have proven themselves incapable of obeying the law, let alone enforcing it for others; unable to self-soothe, let alone keep the peace. ICE and its ilk are ... a problem with only one solution. They are malignant, they are worthless, and they should not exist."
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Barry Yeoman @barryyeoman.com · 23/01/2026
A post-by-post dissection of the Nazi and neo-Nazi tropes used in U.S. government social media accounts. By @alibreland.bsky.social in @theatlantic.com.
theatlantic.com
The Trump Administration Is Publishing a Stream of Nazi Propaganda
Government social-media managers have transformed official feeds.
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Minnesota House DFL @mnhousedfl.bsky.social · 22/01/2026
Nasra Ahmed, a 23-year-old US citizen, was arrested and detained by ICE. She was held for TWO DAYS. ICE agents handcuffed her, called her a racial slur, and she was knocked to the ground so hard she got a concussion. This cannot continue happening. ICE needs to leave.
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Status Coup News @statuscoupnews.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
🚨ICE violently dragged a U.S. veteran out of her car near Minneapolis ICE: Get out of the f*cking car! Vet: You know I'm a Marine Corps veteran? ICE: I don't care what you are! [ICE drags her from car & then points taser at passenger] ICE: "F*cking move I'll f*cking taze you!"
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Aaron Reichlin-Melnick @reichlinmelnick.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
🚨HOLY CRAP. An ICE whistleblower just revealed a secret memo authorizing ICE officers to break into homes without a judicial warrant, which DHS's own legal training materials say is unconstitutional! ICE then hid the memo from the public, passing it along by word of mouth and private conversation.
The Gravamen of the Disclosure

4. The gravamen of the disclosure is as follows: 
a. By memorandum dated May 12, 2025 (“the May 12 Memo”), Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons authorizes ICE agents to forcibly enter into certain people’s homes without a judicial warrant, consent, or an emergency.

b. Specifically, in the May 12 Memo, the Acting ICE Director authorized ICE Agents to rely on Form I-205 (which is not a judicial warrant) to enter the residence of an alien subject to a final order of deportation, without consent, including by “a necessary and reasonable amount of force.”2c. While addressed to “All ICE Personnel,” in practice the May 12 Memo has not been formally distributed to all personnel. Instead, the May 12 Memo has been provided to select DHS officials who are then directed to verbally brief the new policy for action. Those supervisors then show the Memo to some employees, like our clients, and direct them to read the Memo and return it to the supervisor.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Sickening.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
Just like Comsat/ Intelsat during the Cold War, Starlink’s recent actions in Iran demonstrate the continued geopolitical implications of satellite communications technology. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/13/t...
nytimes.com
Starlink Users in Iran Get Free Internet Access, Nonprofit Says
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
I feel like emotions and personality politics play a monumental role in Hollywood M&A. Warner Bros new CEO needs to feel validated that he’s sufficiently ‘turned the company around,’ so he’s pushing the Netflix deal. No doubt he’ll get a massive payout too. www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/b...
nytimes.com
Warner Bros. Says Ellisons ‘Misled’ Shareholders in Takeover Bid
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Columbia Journalism Review @columjournreview.bsky.social · 15/12/2025
@azmatzahra.bsky.social on what happens when a hedge fund buys the only source for satellite imagery of a conflict zone, with Anya Schiffrin and Journalism 2050 hosts @emilybell.bsky.social and Heather Chaplin. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
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Thomonique Moore @hellothomo.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Librarians are the pillars of society, change my mind
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Sunbathing while mommy works on finals. No thoughts, just sun and sprawl
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 05/12/2025
Regulation should prohibit mergers like this, not enable them.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
My temporary coworker (his breath smells)
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
Working hard or hardly working?
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 15/11/2025
The Federal Gov. is attempting to build an ICE facility in the community I grew up in. This is heart wrenching and would have an enormous impact on the community. While my family no longer lives there, a piece of me/us always will. www.klcc.org/local-news/2...
klcc.org
'We are going to do everything we can to fight this’: Newport unites against ICE facility, Coast Guard helicopter loss
Hundreds of community members showed up Wednesday evening for a special meeting of the Newport City Council to offer public comment on the potential new ICE facility to be located at the Newport Munic...
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Victor Pickard @victorpickard.bsky.social · 10/10/2025
The uprisings in Portland are truly terrifying.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
A gross example of executive overstep.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 09/09/2025
I can only dream of commanding an audience as well as Morgan Spector does. Abolish the billionaire class, once city at a time🙏
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 02/08/2025
Devastating blow to public interest media. CPB was created to help protect citizens from undue business influence— civil society will suffer greatly without access to independent information. Not to mention folks in rural areas who rely on public media for any kind of news. cpb.org/pressroom/Co...
cpb.org
Corporation for Public Broadcasting Addresses Operations Following Loss of Federal Funding
WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissio...
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Yet another example of the global corporatization of “public interest” media. It’s time to take a hint from history and undo the growing dependencies between public interest media and transitory tech.
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The Marshall Project @themarshallproject.org · 11/07/2025
A new federal report concludes federal prison officials violated their own rules, shackling prisoners to beds and chairs for hours or even days. The report comes after an investigative series by The Marshall Project and NPR exposed similar abuses.
themarshallproject.org
Shackled For Days and Weeks: A Federal Report Finds Widespread Abuse in Prisons
The report, by the Justice Department’s internal watchdog, comes after an investigative series by The Marshall Project and NPR exposed similar abuses.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
Our neighbors’ house caught on fire last night when their illegal fireworks re-lit in the garage. Everyone is ok (including the pets), but it is certainly a cautionary tale. Demonstrates why skyrockets are illegal in OR and many other places.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
It was such a privilege presenting my archival research at the UDC conference in Tacoma, WA, this weekend 🙌🏻 Can’t wait to continue investigating how Robert A. Brady impacted our field. Thank you @uniondemcomm.bsky.social for putting on a great conference!
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Annenberg School at Penn @asc.upenn.edu · 11/06/2025
A study of declassified FBI files documents how the Bureau wielded the fear of communist infiltration to infiltrate the broadcasting industry itself:
asc.upenn.edu
The FBI’s Secret Impact on American Broadcasting
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 23/02/2025
So excited to share a new article I have out with my brilliant colleagues, Carol Stabile and Miriam Yousaf! This work is so important to me and l believe it’s being released at an even more important point in American history. urldefense.com/v3/__https:/...
urldefense.com
“The FBI has no politics”: COMINFIL radio-TV and the suppression of dissent1
Abstract. In the second half of the 1940s, the Federal Bureau of Investigation initiated an investigation of the broadcasting industry that had far-reachin
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Keeping my brain sharp over winter break. Beat the reigning champ (my bf’s mom) 🙌🏻
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 28/12/2024
This piece shows how publicly funded media, devoid of corporate interest, is deeply intertwined with socioeconomic disparity in America. Major media giants and the incoming administration that supports them threatens to eliminate community-based reporting. All bc NPR and PBS are too liberal — CONT.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 28/12/2024
America's richest 10% now hold 60% of the nation's wealth. The bottom half of America? It holds just 6%. Wealth inequality is eating this country alive.
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Lauren Tokos @ltokos.bsky.social · 21/12/2024
I’ve created an army
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Jeff Pooley @jpooley.bsky.social · 18/12/2024
New, important paper on surveillance publishing: 'The Citation Economy as a Site of Extraction for Surveillance Publishing'
cjal.ca
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