iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Do algorithms drive online polarization? A review by Duncan Watts and coauthors finds the evidence is inconclusive. What users seek out matters too, though platforms aren't off the hook. infodem.upenn.edu/research-com...

infodem.upenn.edu

Research Compendium - Center on Media, Technology and Democracy

News, announcements, and insights from the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy.

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Our MEDIATED research seminars are back! Syracuse Prof Emily Thorson shows that contrary to popular belief, Americans have a genuine interest in public-interest journalism! For more empirically backed optimism about the state of our media and politics, follow Emily’s work!

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Reposted by Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED)

Alex Engler @alexengler.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Friends, countrymen, lend me your shares! We are hiring a *𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫* to lead a *𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐒𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦* as we build Penn MEDIATED into the first† public-facing data science institute for the information ecosystem (think the Urban Institute or CSET, but for media and information technology).

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Is Google AI killing the open internet? Danaé Metaxa’s new research suggests it might be: reduced publisher visits, yet readers aren’t getting a better experience. This and a lot more in our Research Compendium! (1/7) infodem.upenn.edu/research-com...

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Alex Engler @alexengler.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I just finished this and definitely recommend the essay. A compelling narrative of information ecosystem developments since 2020, and a call for more serious reform proposals (which I strongly agree with, more to come soon). Here's the two paragraph conclusion, which I found thought provoking

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

For Dædalus, @sgonzalezbailon.bsky.social has a new essay arguing for intentionally designing technologies and information architectures in the public interest, a partial response and expansion on @ethanz.bsky.social's contribution. Both very much worth your time. www.amacad.org/daedalus/har...

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Lots of updates in our latest newsletter, including: -a Sept 10 event on LLMs + Content Moderation -🚨a Research Analyst job posting🚨 -3 new Knight Fellows @ Penn -our partnerships with AC DFR Lab & GNI -MOAR RESEARCH t.e2ma.net/webview/tukv...

t.e2ma.net

Deepening Digital Investigations with New Fellows, Research & Partnerships + A Job Opportunity

Logo for Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy ### Deepening Digital Investigations with New Fellows, Research & Partnerships + A Job Opportunity Hello friends and colleagues- Over the past ...

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Today's lead in the @nytimes.com cites affiliated faculty Matt Levendusky's new @appc.upenn.edu polling, showing 61% of Americans oppose data center construction in their area. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/23/u...

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Alex Engler @alexengler.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

In my first piece in 3 years (!), Danaé Metaxa and I write for @carnegieendowment.org on why we need a new paradigm of scientific research for AI—longitudinal monitoring—to ensure the public has a meaningful say in the societal role of LLMs. carnegieendowment.org/research/202...

carnegieendowment.org

We Need Ongoing Monitoring of AI and Political Information

Monitoring is essential so that policymakers and the public can understand—and have a say in—how AI systems affect politics.

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Check out this amazing 2-year postdoc position with rockstars Danaé Metaxa and @friedler.net to work on public interest audits of AI here at UPenn! metaxa.net/postdoc

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Deen Freelon @dfreelon.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

We got new research out today y'all--if you study TikTok, buckle up because we found something wilddddd... arxiv.org/abs/2608.09917 (accepted @ ICWSM 2027)

arxiv.org

WhichTok? Comparing Three TikTok Data Acquisition Tools

TikTok's global growth has made it a prime platform for both entertainment and political discourse, prompting increased social science research. However, this rapidly evolving research field faces a f...

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

AN A-EYE FOR AN A-EYE? Ask an AI model what happens when someone breaks a social norm, and it predicts retaliation. Ask humans, and the answer is usually forgiveness. According to new research from Lyle Ungar, LLMs consistently imagine a harsher social world than humans. (1/6)

infodem.upenn.edu

Research Compendium - Center on Media, Technology and Democracy

News, announcements, and insights from the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy.

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

We're thrilled to welcome three new Knight Fellows (joining us this fall) to our community of researchers studying the information ecosystem and its impact on democracy - Postdoc Thomas Chamberlain; Postdoc Burak Ozturan; and PhD Student Jacky Liang. infodem.upenn.edu/blog/#knight...

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

📣 We're hiring for two part-time positions at Penn MEDIATED! We have two openings for people who want to help communicate essential science of the information ecosystem to the journalists, policymakers, and civil society organizations who need it most. (1/3)

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

How did the narrative “DEI is discrimination against white people” gain traction? Well, new research from Matt Levendusky has the answer and our research compendium covered it and lots more! 🧵

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International Conference on Computational Social Science @ic2s2.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

We're excited to share the full program for IC2S2 2026! We're looking forward to learning and networking with a wonderful community of interdisciplinary scholars, and we're proud of the incredible line up of talks and posters. Registration is open through July 3rd: ic2s2-2026.org/program/

ic2s2-2026.org

Program — International Conference on Computational Social Science | Burlington, VT 2026

Join us for IC2S2 2026 — the 12th International Conference on Computational Social Science. Burlington, Vermont, July 28-31.

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

🚨@asc.upenn.edu is hiring a a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Media Industry Studies starting fall 2027!🚨 --focus on media policy, political economy & surveillance; --familiarity w/ the historical and shifting structural and material conditions transforming apply.interfolio.com/187239

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

We are delighted to announce that Penn MEDIATED is now a member of the @thegni.bsky.social! It's an honor to be a part of the community advancing a free and democratic technological future, and we are enthused to contribute Penn’s science of the information ecosystem to GNI’s vital discussions.

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Global Network Initiative @thegni.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

📣 GNI is pleased to welcome the Penn Center on Media, Technology and Democracy (Penn MEDIATED) to its academic constituency as a member. globalnetworkinitiative.org/gni-welcomes...

globalnetworkinitiative.org

GNI Welcomes New Member: Penn MEDIATED - Global Network Initiative

GNI is pleased to welcome Penn MEDIATED to its academic constituency as a member.

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

It’s been the highlight of our week to see all the announcements from defenders of democracy accepted into the Atlantic Council Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab)'s Digital Sherlocks! We're proud to partner on this essential effort to counter autocratic manipulation of the information ecosystem

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Annenberg School at Penn @asc.upenn.edu · 28/05/2026

PIK Professor Dolores Albarracín and Penn Psychology doctoral student Yubo Zhou studied the relative persuasive impact of messages expressing attitudes, describing behaviors, or combining both:

asc.upenn.edu

What Makes Messages Persuasive?

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

🧵Is church and state truly separate in the U.S.? New research suggests, not so much. Penn's Yphtach Lelkes analyzed 88,546 sermons across three election cycles—14.7% of evangelical churches engaged in political advocacy, spiking right before Election Day. 6 new studies. A thread: 👇

infodem.upenn.edu

Research Compendium - Center on Media, Technology and Democracy

News, announcements, and insights from the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy.

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Alex Engler @alexengler.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I'm excited to contribute to this June 5th workshop on building a healthier information ecosystem in the age of AI - consider applying if you're working on building authentication or verification tools.

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Exciting Princeton CITP / NYU workshop on 6/5 for journalists and fact-gatherers to discuss the threats posed by AI to information integrity. If you are a technologist / company building authentication or verification tools and would like to attend, apply here: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Day 25 of the Penn MEDIATED-DFRLab partnership: Dolores Albarracín, a world-renowned social psychologist and the Amy Gutmann Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, will lead a module for the Digital Sherlocks 2026 cohort!

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Penn MEDIATED's new LLMs & Civic Discourse Research Dashboard is live! 📚71 curated papers on LLMs and the information ecosystem. 🤖Focus areas: chatbots, content moderation, fact-checking. 📝Succinct summaries for researchers, advocates & policymakers. Explore → infodem.upenn.edu/llm-civic-di...

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Annenberg School at Penn @asc.upenn.edu · 30/04/2026

Penn President Emerita and Annenberg Professor Amy Gutmann will serve as faculty advisor for @penn-mediated.bsky.social. She shared with the DP why its work to advance understanding of the information ecosystem and its impact on democracy is important to her: www.thedp.com/article/2026...

thedp.com

Amy Gutmann to serve as faculty advisor for Penn center on media and democracy

In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Amy Gutmann wrote that she was drawn to the center’s mission, which supports her long-standing work on “the relationship between education and democracy.”

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

“Our health and that of our democracy depends on the health of our information ecosystem,” Gutmann wrote. “For education and democracy to serve the people, we must join in searching for truth and understanding.” More in the coverage from the Daily Pennsylvanian: www.thedp.com/article/2026...

thedp.com

Amy Gutmann to serve as faculty advisor for Penn center on media and democracy

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Duncan Watts, the Co-Director of @penn-mediated.bsky.social, and Director of the CSS Lab, and the 23rd @upenn.edu Integrates Knowledge (PIK) Professor has been elected to the Academy of Arts & Sciences in the Social & Behavioral Sciences Class Congratulations Duncan!!

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

We're still amped about the Penn MEDIATED and DFRLab Partnership for the 2026 Digital Sherlocks! So, we're just leave this here for people... infodem.upenn.edu/blog/#dfrlab-partnership

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Reposted by Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED)

Annenberg School at Penn @asc.upenn.edu · 21/04/2026

Amy Gutmann, Professor at the Annenberg School for Communication and the School of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, is joining the Penn Center on Media, Technology and Democracy (Penn MEDIATED) as a Faculty Advisor:

infodem.upenn.edu

Feed - Center on Media, Technology and Democracy

News, announcements, and insights from the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy.

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Penn MEDIATED is honored to appoint @upenn.edu President Emerita Amy Gutmann as a Faculty Advisor. A pioneering scholar of deliberative democracy and Penn's longest-serving president—she brings extraordinary expertise to the Center's leadership. Read more: infodem.upenn.edu/blog/#amy-gu...

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

🚨Penn MEDIATED is hiring for a summer AI Auditing Engineer as part of our LLM Civic Discourse project - a great fit for a passionate PhD student or Postdoc.🚨 The engineer will develop and deploy a software tools for longitudinal monitoring of LLM political outputs infodem.upenn.edu/job-openings/

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

We're excited to introduce our blog, A MEDIATED Feed (DO YOU GET WHAT WE’RE DOING WITH THE BRANDING!?!) where we will share Center updates and also contextualize new computational research within the big debates of the day. infodem.upenn.edu/blog/

infodem.upenn.edu

Feed - Center on Media, Technology and Democracy

News, announcements, and insights from the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy.

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Reposted by Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED)

Sayyara Mammadova @sayyara.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

1/ I have exciting news: @dfrlab.bsky.social ‘s Digital Sherlocks is back! 🎉 This one is personal — as a #DigitalSherlocks alumna myself, managing and relaunching the program is a special moment. For the first time, we are also partnering with @penn-mediated.bsky.social !

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Penn MEDIATED is thrilled to partner with @atlanticcouncil.bsky.social @dfrlab.bsky.social to 🚀 re-launch 🚀 the free Digital Sherlocks training program. @upenn.edu faculty will deliver modules on cutting-edge data, tools, science, & methods of countering information manipulation. Apply! Share!

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

🧵 At our MEDIATED Research Seminar, students presented lightning talks on how information ecosystems shape politics, media, and AI. (1/4)

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Alex Engler @alexengler.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Erik Santoro is a new Wharton professor with a great research portfolio on the impact on interpersonal conversations on political beliefs and polarization, and an affiliated faculty member with @penn-mediated.bsky.social infodem.upenn.edu/faculty/

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

We're proud to introduce Penn MEDIATED’s affiliated faculty members—distinguished by their rigorous empirical research advancing our collective understanding of the information ecosystem and its impact on democracy. A thread 🧵 (1/n)

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

These projects tackle three critical dimensions: → How media ecosystems shape public understanding → AI's role as an information intermediary → Communication strategies that build common ground

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

We’re excited to formally launch our Research Compendium—an ongoing effort to comprehensively curate Penn’s research on the information ecosystem and its impact on democracy. (1/7) infodem.upenn.edu/research-com...

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 02/03/2026

🧵 We're excited to share that we’re using slightly outdated content to backfill our BlueSky profile! For instance, like, uh, two months ago, we awarded our inaugural Information and Democracy Research Grant Program! (1/4)

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Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy (MEDIATED) @penn-mediated.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Hello from the Penn Center on Media, Technology, and Democracy! 👋 We're new(ish), and we just joined Bluesky — because, well, you know how the other platforms are going. Here's what we're about 🧵 (1/6)

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