The Lint Trap of History
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"In Defense of Television": Once Upon a Time, It Was A Medium That Mattered
How do we teach students about the power and influence of a medium that they'll never experience?
Apr 22
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Michael J. Socolow
9
1
3
The Trajectory of History (Making): Some Thoughts on Archive Work, Old and New
The amount and diversity of digital resources today make archival research and the composition of history far different than just a few decades ago
Apr 15
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Michael J. Socolow
11
3
All Governments Lie... But They Lie More During Wartime
How many people remember the Department of Defense embarrassing itself by spreading inaccurate early reports about Jessica Lynch and Pat Tillman?
Apr 8
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Michael J. Socolow
13
3
5
Everyone (Old) Loves the Obits
Some thoughts on one of the most enduring and popular newspaper features. Obituaries only look easy to write.
Apr 1
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Michael J. Socolow
12
2
3
March 2026
CBS News Radio, 1927 - 2026: A Selective Remembrance
Last Friday CBS News management announced that its radio news operation would end operations on May 22, 2026. The news reminded me of a few interesting…
Mar 25
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Michael J. Socolow
10
2
"47 Years": How the Iran Crisis of 1979 - 1981 Forever Changed TV News
The crisis began with Walter Cronkite at the apex of his authority and CBS News dominant. But Roone Arledge and ABC News exploited this breaking news…
Mar 18
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Michael J. Socolow
13
1
6
Jeffrey Epstein Wasn't Just Evil... He Was Also Really Stupid
People are starting to catch on. He used his wealth to obscure his imbecility. But the guy was just plain dumb.
Mar 11
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Michael J. Socolow
304
35
51
How to Win By Losing: The Netflix Example
The big winner in the Warner Brothers Discovery sale turns out to be the company that was left holding the bag... of money.
Mar 4
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Michael J. Socolow
6
2
February 2026
The Dead Internet? Theory and Reality
I used to think the "Dead Internet Theory" was a far-fetched and humorous idea. A fun sort of conspiracy theory. But how soon before reality catches up?
Feb 25
•
Michael J. Socolow
5
2
Is Anybody Keeping Track of All the History That's Being Erased?
History requires primary sources and secondary syntheses. Both are being erased. That's a big problem for a shared future understanding of today's world
Feb 18
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Michael J. Socolow
10
4
6
Do News Audiences Really Know What They Like?
Jeff Bezos thinks the key to revitalizing the Washington Post is to follow the data and give the newspaper's audience more of what it already prefers…
Feb 11
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Michael J. Socolow
6
2
Why NBC's Olympic Games Rights Deal Might Be The Greatest Steal in U.S. TV History
Nobody knows precisely how profitable the contract NBC signed with the IOC will ultimately turn out to be. But even if traditional broadcast TV ratings…
Feb 4
•
Michael J. Socolow
4
2
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