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Shannon McGregor, PhD

@shannimcg.bsky.social
16K followers 2.9K following 1.5K posts

Professor at UNC. PI at CITAP. Researching & writing on political comm: identity, social media, public opinion, news - all "depressing & timely" BOOK: Media & January 6th (Oxford) global.oup.com/academic/product/med…

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Reposted by Shannon McGregor, PhD
Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Writing something where I will be liberally citing @lilymasonphd.bsky.social's latest and realizing that I can't cite every single thing I would like to because then I'm just reprinting her work. So, I've gotta thread about it instead. muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/articl...
Screenshot of the article website. Title is: Polarization Is Not the Problem. Author is Lilliana Mason. Journal is the Journal of Democracy, Volume 37, Number 4, October 2026. From Johns Hopkins University Press.
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Journal of Democracy @jodemocracy.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Americans have never been angrier with one another. But polarization is not the disease—it is the response to a revanchist movement seeking to roll back sixty years of social progress. 🆕 by @lilymasonphd.bsky.social muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...
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Nicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Here's a thread I wrote years ago (and updated a bit when I moved it from Twitter to BlueSky) about the types of academic accommodations that do and do not work for survivors of sexual violence.
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Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Listen to @davidakaye.bsky.social @shannimcg.bsky.social and Carrie Levine of @votebeat.org on the Season 8 premiere of the #ELBPodcast soundcloud.com/rick-hasen/e...
soundcloud.com
ELB Podcast 8:1 : Election Talk: Media and Social Media in 2026 (Kaye, Levine, McGregor)
How well are national and local media informing voters about how elections are run? What has happened with false election information shared on social media? What lessons can the United States learn
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Jared Schroeder @schroeder1stabskys.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
This is an important point. Let's not make it sound like he had a choice. Our system required that he follow the order.
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Seth Masket @smotus.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Interviewing the inventor of napalm about his hats
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Ryan Enos @ryanenos.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
More than 1 in 4 *Trump voters* say the country is worse off than it was four years ago.
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Dannagal Goldthwaite Young @dannagal.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Ironically, the White House Media ban should remind journalists to center American democracy - rather than the President. Sure "access journalism" has its place, but when power is being consolidated in the Executive Branch as it is now, access journalism can reinforce autocratization.
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
And here’s the opposite of democracy-framed reporting. Trump didn’t “bow” to pressure from a federal judge. He followed a court order to reinstate media access.
Screenshot of NPR story. Text preview reads: 
npr
ALL THINGS CONSIDERED
Sep 24, 2026
White House allows banned journalists bac...

Trump administration officials bowed to pressure from a federal judge, allowing CNN, MSNOW and Politico onto White House grounds after revoking their press passes over coverage Trump didn't like.
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Safeguarding Democracy Project @sdpucla.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
@shannimcg.bsky.social talks about the importance of how we frame news stories like the recent White House press ban and how that framework can spur action or inaction. Full webinar: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfMA...
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Daniel Drezner @dandrezner.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
“While our past surveys documented that the president has lost significant ground with non-college-educated white voters, independents, non-voters, Hispanics, and young people, this month’s survey reveals Trump slipping significantly with his own party.” www.gelliottmorris.com/p/2026-09-23...
gelliottmorris.com
Poll: Trump's approval hits a new low of 33% as Republicans sour; Democrats lead House vote by 10 with likely voters
The president's approval fell 11 points among Republicans last month, as he set another record low on prices at 21% approve
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Drew Harwell @drewharwell.com · 23/09/2026
Five cops in Indianapolis were just criminally charged with abusing Flock to spy on their ex-wives, their wives' ex-partners and women they met on duty. Audit was triggered by us at the @washingtonpost.com, the prosecutor said. From last month: wapo.st/4yfNHng
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Anna Bower @annabower.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
happy first (full) day of fall, bluesky
ina garten in a witch hat saying “If you can't summon the flames directly from hell, store-bought is fine.”
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
if you've talked to me recently, you've heard me rant about the ubiquity of "unprecedented" in press framing of our democratic backsliding. now you can watch illiberal actions like banning news outlets from govt access are ONLY unprecedented if we don't look beyond our borders. context matters!
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Huge thanks to @rickhasen.bsky.social for convening such an amazing & informative conversation. I learned so much from my fellow panelists. Do you care, think, and/or worry about the 2026 U.S. elections & the role that media of all types are playing/will play/could be playing? Then give it a listen!
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Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Join us in one hour! @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social @davidakaye.bsky.social @shannimcg.bsky.social Carrie Levine @votebeat.org @law.ucla.edu @sdpucla.bsky.social
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Mark Histed @markhisted.org · 18/09/2026
Most science groups are also trying to be seen as neutral in the face of radicalization, and that’s why “but polarization!” works so well to trip them up. Great on @perrybaconjr.bsky.social and @shannimcg.bsky.social for explaining this:
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Daniel Loxton 🇨🇦 @danielloxton.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
“It is highly unusual that an end-product threatens the economic foundations of its essential suppliers, but that is the situation we have created for our LLM business with respect to its ‘content supply chain.’” Going great, good job everyone
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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Surveying the AI ‘moment,’ Nathalie Maréchal says "the kooks are now in power, and they are using that power to dismantle the institutions designed to keep the rest of us safe, healthy, and free."
techpolicy.press
What Policymakers and the Public Need to Know About the Cult of AI
Nathalie Maréchal asks, why are we betting the economy and the future of democracy on cult-like beliefs?
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Rick Hasen @rickhasen.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Join @davidfolkenflik.bsky.social @davidakaye.bsky.social Carry Levine of @votebeat.org and @shannimcg.bsky.social for this important conversation next Tuesday!
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Democracy Docket @democracydocket.com · 15/09/2026
During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed FBI agents will be deployed to the polls this fall, saying he "will not shy away from that effort." Let it be known: this administration will do everything in its power to dissuade voters from showing up in November.
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Mark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Today in “it’s not polarization”
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Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
"These attacks on media and these attacks on universities are themselves ideological and partisan attacks," says @shannimcg.bsky.social. Great conversation on the problem with writers/academics trying to be seen as "neutral" and fixating on "polarization." newrepublic.com/article/2153...
newrepublic.com
Transcript: America’s Big Political Problem Isn’t Polarization
Academics and journalists do the far right favors when they describe American politics as polarized and desperately seek to seem neutral, says professor Shannon McGregor.
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Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The concept of polarization, "Has no analysis of power. Why are we polarized? What are we polarized over? Why is this a problem? It obscures what’s actually happening, which is that we have extremism coming from the right that has a very anti-democratic streak to it," @shannimcg.bsky.social.
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Sabalenka is the sorest loser — like please grow up
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Comfortably Numb @numb.comfortab.ly · 12/09/2026
Dem's fundraising text are gonna be like
Liam Neeson in "Taken" - "I will find you, and I will kill you"
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
McEnroe calling this match is SUCH a vibe harsh. Embodiment of old (irrelevant) man yelling at the sky. Fans deserve better — Foe & Shelton definitely do
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
How am I “doing”?! I’m memory holing 11 years whilst labeling marinara for the freezer I didn’t even notice until I was putting it away
The top of a plastic food storage container that says marinara 9/18/15 WTF/26 
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
"This time, instead of serving as a defender of American higher education as it had in the 19th century, Dartmouth did precisely the opposite. At a moment that demanded solidarity among threatened institutions, it eagerly bent the knee and pursued a strategy of accommodation & appeasement."
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
welp, our etsy witch curses didn't work - still have to watch a final with this PoS abuser, who is also a boring tennis player
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Brendan Nyhan @brendannyhan.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
What would you say if you saw it in another country?
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Marisa Kabas @marisakabas.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
"Some Republicans have expressed concern that a small but growing faction of younger people in the party have interacted with or expressed fealty to white nationalist and racist ideologies that have long been considered fringe." O RLY
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Alan Elrod @aselrod.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
A deeply thoughtful and probing reflection on the 25th anniversary of 9/11 from @sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com
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Mar Hicks @histoftech.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
when you work at the BPAF but you’re beginning to realize there’s not going to be a successful IPO
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
incredible new reporting from the always amazing @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social -- along with your semi-regular reminder that platforms policies, interpretation, and enforcement matters, not only for exposure but for targeting by disinfo purveyors
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Brandy Zadrozny @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Get in, folks: a new Russian disinfo campaign is targeting the midterms, specifically Democrats, in what seems to be the first attempt by the Kremlin-backed op to meddle in this year’s U.S. elections. They're faking celebrity videos attacking Dems and are...very stupid. www.ms.now/news/russia-...
ms.now
A Russian disinformation campaign is doctoring celebrity videos to meddle in the midterms
The Kremlin-backed operation, known as Matryoshka, has Hollywood actors telling voters to disavow the Democratic Party and vote Republican.
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Grateful for all those willing to take on the herculean service of leading our academic association -- and for the vision @sjjphd.bsky.social lays out for the importance of our field & how we must work together to resist authoritarian attacks globally, all of which strengthens our field's future
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G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 11/09/2026
I learned a lot from this conversation. Perry is doing some of the best expert interviews in media right now
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Anil Dash @anildash.com · 11/09/2026
The Biden White House guys who had the meeting on AI with Andreessen have *just now* figured out that they should point out that Andreessen has been intentionally lying about it ever since in order to drum up support for the fascists. WHY THE FUCK DID YOU WAIT www.politico.com/news/magazin...
politico.com
Opinion | What Really Happened at the White House Lunch That Marc Andreessen Says Sent Him to Trump
Setting the record straight about the venture capitalist’s meeting with us in the Biden White House.
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Perry Bacon @perrybaconjr.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
"Why don't we have strong political leadership that says, "You know what? Yes, we are the party of pluralism, of cultural, social, ethnic, racial pluralism, and that is our vision. Yes, that is the offer we are making to you, the electorate." @thomaszimmer.bsky.social.
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Every half-ass plan for our extinction that they provide just turns me on. No internet, you say? No online banking?? No 2FA to use the bathroom at my job??? Baby I was a latchkey kid in the 1980s. You’re describing my platonic ideal. Extinct me.
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Alondra Nelson @alondra.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Researchers across the country are turning to side hustles to fund their work. Behind the cuts sits a bigger shift: whether American science can still sustain durable research capacity. @lindseydcameron.bsky.social and I examine the stakes in a new piece @science.org: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
science.org
The wrong platform for science
Daniel Blumstein recently sat in a Colorado meadow waiting for yellow-bellied marmots to appear, as the ecologist and evolutionary biologist had done many times before, the New York Times reported. Bu...
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Caitlin McGlade @caitmcglade.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
I, the only data reporter at the Charlotte Observer, am among the McClatchy layoffs in the bloodbath today. The HR person asked me not to talk about it! AMA. Anyway, here’s a link to one of my most important stories this year. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/a...
charlotteobserver.com
A Black teen found hanged near Charlotte church was a suicide, police say. Questions remain
In May, 16-year-old Juliana Nzita was found dead in a Charlotte churchyard. CMPD called it a suicide. Her family isn’t so sure.
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Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Slop does not refer to criticism or mere dislike. You can use even the most colloquial of definitions for slop and all of them at least minimally refer to volume and machine produced.
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Dominique Baker @bakerdphd.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
It would appear I am now a columnist at Inside Higher Ed. My first piece focuses on McCarthyism, censorship, and our current moment in higher education. This is an essay I started nearly 6 months ago so I'm glad to finally share it with y'all. www.insidehighered.com/opinion/colu...
insidehighered.com
Censorship Arrives on Campus
In her debut column, “Echoes in the Quad,” higher education policy scholar Dominique J. Baker explores how the political oppression of the McCarthy era reverberates in the stifling of academic freedom...
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Laura Seay @texasinafrica.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
1. Government censorship is bad. 2. My main takeaway is that the GOP thinks Talarico is going to win. 
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
"appears to walk back" 🙃 I wOndEr whY no OnE tRuSts tHe pReSs ?! 🧐
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Hakeem Jefferson @hakeemjefferson.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
One of my big academic rules: only write papers you really care about on topics you really care about. I try to follow this rule 99% of the time. This paper is one of the best examples of that, and I’m stoked it’s one step closer to being in the world. We’ve corrected proofs & you’ll have it soon!
First page of article proofs for “The Politics of Black Classification: Sociopolitical Cues and Racial Perception”
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Shannon McGregor, PhD @shannimcg.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
the press talking themselves into a circular logic that does indeed make no sense, instead of just saying this is a promise of an illegal bribe. Too much to expect this NOT to be the main story from last night since it just draws attention to this illegal promise, which ...
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G Elliott Morris @gelliottmorris.com · 10/09/2026
Apparently every newspaper in the world has decided to just run the president’s campaign for him
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