Media and Democracy
Faculty member Erika Mijlin was quoted in an article called "Sanders claims most 'likes' in congress," which appeared in the Times Argus this week.
The article examined Bernie Sander’s popular social media presence, and what that means for media and democracy, especially in a small state like Vermont.
Sanders "has more people following his Facebook page than any other member of Congress." He says that "“Social media is a vitally important tool to bring Americans together to learn from each other."
Every four years, Mijlin teaches a class on Media and Democracy, which is planned to coincide with election season. She said that "social media has changed the traditional gatekeeping function of the news media."
She continued:
Regardless of how big a platform you previously had to stand on, in the social media environment you can attract a large audience because you’re going straight to your consumers, so to speak,” she said. “Even someone from a small state, just based on the power of their message, or the forcefulness of their words, depending on how you look at it, will attract a following.