Fudan-LSE Lecture Series No.19

THE SPEAKER

David S. Birdsell is an expert on public communication at the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs, Baruch College/CUNY. His work centers on the nexus of communication, technology, and civil society. As a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, he chairs the boards of Governance Matters and the New York Federal Statistical Research Data Center. He also sits on the board of the New York Council of Nonprofits. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from the University of Virginia and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.

ABSTRACT

The US is confronting historically high levels of political polarization. This lecture outlines the increasing social, educational, and economic divisions in the US and their reflection in media consumption habits, particularly social media. The result is that the America that citizens “see” is profoundly shaped by experience, geography, and personal media choices.