EMPOWERVERSE

Produced by @empowervmedia Edited & fact-checked by @jorgebscomm Understanding how people get news has never been more crucial.   (📷:foto.wuestenigel) T he Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025 shows a sharp shift away from traditional media toward social networks and video platforms for news . Across most countries, fewer people report regularly using TV, print, or news websites, while many more now rely on Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and the like. For example, about one-third of respondents globally use Facebook (36%) or YouTube (30%) each week to get news.  Other social apps also play a major role: roughly 19% turn to Instagram and 19% to WhatsApp for news, and TikTok (16%) is already ahead of X/Twitter (12%). These many “mini-newspapers” on our phones and feeds mean news consumption is more fragmented than ever. In fact, the study notes that six different online platforms now reach at least 10% of people weekly with news – up from just two platforms a decade ago ....

Produced by @empowervmedia * Edited & fact-checked by @jorgebscomm The liar's dividend lets scandal-plagued politicians and others claim plausible deniability for real actions.   (📷:politicamericana) I n an era of ubiquitous misinformation, a new phenomenon has emerged: the liar’s dividend . In simple terms, the liar’s dividend occurs when bad actors dismiss real news as “fake”, using the very existence of deepfakes and false content to muddy the waters and evade accountability . This means even genuine evidence (videos, audio recordings, or photos) can be shrugged off as forgeries. Researchers warn that as society becomes more aware of sophisticated deepfake and AI-manipulated media, cynical public perceptions may grow, “primed to doubt the authenticity of real audio and video evidence” . In practice, the liar’s dividend is already undermining confidence in media and institutions: by casting doubt on truth itself, it lets scandal-plagued politicians and others claim plausible...

Produced by @epowervmedia * FACT-CHECKED by @jorgebscomm ✅  Online platforms have become fertile ground for the spread of violent and misogynistic ideologies.   (📷:leonel-houssam) The internet’s promise of open discourse has been undermined by the proliferation of anti‑women spaces, where misogynistic and violent rhetoric thrives. From large social networks like X-Twitter and Facebook to niche forums (e.g., “incel” communities), users share dehumanising narratives that normalise aggression toward women and marginalised genders . These platforms often lack robust moderation, allowing hate speech to flourish unchecked . Studies reveal that sexist harassment is now one of the most pervasive forms of online abuse on Web 2.0, outpacing even racial or religious hate speech . This digital hate often spills into real‑world violence, as seen in assaults influenced by extremist misogynistic groups . 'Meet an Incel' ▶️58s Ideological Underpinnings ‘Involuntary celibates’ or “incels...

Produced by @jorgebscomm for @empowervmedia * FACT-CHECKED ✅  Digital media has reshaped not only how we access information but also how we experience time and meaning in our constantly connected world.   (📷:progressive-charlestown) In the analogue era, clocks and other time-keeping devices carried a narrative rhythm; a visible arc that gave people a palpable sense of time passing. Today’s digital clocks, by contrast, lack a fluid narrative, presenting time in stark, static figures. This shift symbolically mirrors our current digital media environment, where the absence of narrative progression leads many to feel as though history or our future is abruptly ending. The sudden, disjunctive experience of digital time creates an emotional vacuum that some interpret as apocalyptic, pushing individuals toward the belief that everything is collapsing around them. Studies indicate that narrative deficits in digital interfaces contribute to user disorientation and heightened anxiety ...