This interview with Professor Emily Bell encompasses a variety of topics centered on the relationship between digital platforms and journalism, religion, and society. Issues range from the alarming phenomenon of a growing share of the population who avoid news altogether to the resistance of internet companies to regulate speech. Professor Bell is not sparing with her criticism of digital behemoths, defending comprehensive regulation and greater transparency in their algorithms and data. She talks at length about the seismic consequences of the technological revolution for journalism and the challenges in finding a sustainable business model for the news media. When it comes to religion, she points out that churches have an ally in digital platforms, which can be used to disseminate their messages far and wide. Nevertheless, she warns against the risk of jeopardizing ethical principles when such an alliance lacks critical judgement.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.