In The News: Department of Communication Studies
The medical evidence is clear: The coronavirus global health threat is not an elaborate hoax. Bill Gates did not create the coronavirus to sell more vaccines. Essential oils are not effective at protecting you from coronavirus.
Remember Cousin Eddie — Randy Quaid’s lovable buffoon in National Lampoon’s Vacation series?
Fitness instructor Shauna Harrison's Instagram feed consists of simple workout routines and yoga stretches she shares with her 84,000 followers.
Reality check: COVID doesn’t care about you. It feels no compassion, no regret about the millions it’s killed. It isn’t concerned with the time of year, or the news cycle, or politics. It’s not taking a break for Christmas. It definitely doesn’t care that we’re all burnt out and tired of hearing about it.
In a world where conspiracy theories and political polarization abound, how does one effectively pull off double duty at battling against both the spread of COVID-19 and misinformation about it?
It’s been eight months and 20 days since the W-H-O formally declared COVID-19 a pandemic. And yet, it sure doesn’t feel that way out there in the world. In the spring, the roads were eerily quiet. With not only schools, restaurants and entertainment venues closed — but also most stores and offices — there were few places for people to go. Not so, today. And yet, the pandemic is as bad as it’s ever been.
Islam is being viewed as “a crisis” around the world, according to French President Emmanuel Macron. Following a series of attacks in France, the uproar of prejudice against Muslims has been surging once more.
Recipe debates tend to get people heated fast. Things get particularly fiery around the holidays, when people share their tips and preferences online. Arguments about the best Thanksgiving dish rage on: People seem to feel strongly about things like jellied cranberry sauce, for example, which is popular in America around Thanksgiving but grosses out a lot of people with its sweet flavor and odd texture.
Recipe debates tend to get people heated fast. Things get particularly fiery around the holidays, when people share their tips and preferences online. Arguments about the best Thanksgiving dish rage on: People seem to feel strongly about things like jellied cranberry sauce, for example, which is popular in America around Thanksgiving but grosses out a lot of people with its sweet flavor and odd texture.
While the US contends with a huge surge in cases and record hospitalizations, federal inaction has forced local officials to adopt their own rules and messaging, creating a patchwork of confusing regulations that differ across the country, and are constantly changing. Polls suggest Americans are exhausted.
The president - and many of his supporters - say the election isn't over, but a majority of Americans say yes—his presidency is over.
You know the feeling: you're tapping through Instagram Stories when you land on a coworker's fiery political rant — one you wish you hadn't seen. You're in a long-standing text chat with your closest friends when someone shares a funny election meme. A minute later, another friend leaves the group without warning. You're swiping through a dating app when you spot an intriguing suitor. After a night of virtual flirting, you find yourself crushing by the glow of your phone screen — until they drop a bomb that explodes in your head. How could you possibly date someone who voted on that side? And, as the holidays approach, you're looking forward to your mom's delicious Thanksgiving spread, yet you cringe at the thought of what might come up over the family dinner table.