As the dust settles and the last votes are being counted, many are reflecting on what has changed between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. The true MVP, and the most consistent presence of the last four years is not a politician or an ideology: it’s social media.

In today’s episode of Hot Off The Pod, we speak with Melissa Barthelemy, a doctoral candidate in UCSB’s history department, about the complicated and often hypocritical relationship between social media, free speech and activism. Barthelemy created a toolkit to help universities navigate these issues for her fellowship with the UC Free Speech Center.

With Barthelemy as our guide, we dive into topics like free speech versus hate speech; the way algorithms shape our political views; how movements like Black Lives Matter and COLA are using social media to mobilize activism; and how we can make the internet a better place for democracy.

Check out the links below for more hot headlines:

https://dailynexus.com/2020-11-02/ucsb-denying-to-release-data-on-pay-job-positions-of-employees-of-color/

https://dailynexus.com/2020-11-13/in-photos-election-day-in-isla-vista/

Read more about Barthelemy’s work here:

https://freespeechcenter.universityofcalifornia.edu/fellows-19-20/barthelemy-research/