Tweet Your Policy: Governance Through Social Media

The rise of social media has significantly altered the landscape of governance and political participation. Social media platforms have become venues for politicians to interact directly with the public, and for the public to respond with their own perspectives on the news. The highly participatory nature of social media, however, means it can also be an unreliable news source, rapidly spreading disinformation or hate speech. Users are often selective about who they interact with online, creating rifts between people of differing political perspectives. The New York Times articles collected in this volume track the rise of governance through social media, and the accompanying debate over the effectiveness of this model. Media literacy questions and terms are included to further engage readers with reporting styles and techniques.