For the last several decades, that “feel-good” TV cop story has shaped our understanding of law enforcement. Dozens of police procedurals dominate TV networks, with millions of viewers tuning in to see hero narratives play out on screen. Fans devour series such as “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” “Hawaii Five-0” and others. Yet it is rare to find a cop show that holds a mirror up to the flawed institution. – Huffington Post
Author: Douglas McLennan
Australia Wants Online Platforms To Pay For News. Facebook Says: We Don’t Need It
Australia’s news outlets have seen their advertising models collapse, and regulators propose charging social media platforms when they carry news stories. “In its submission to the watchdog, Facebook said it rejected many of the ACCC’s potential ideas, and said there was a “healthy rivalry” between itself and news organisations.” – The Guardian
European Cities Experience Life Without Tourists. And They Start Wondering…
“We want to make sure the [tourism] industry has a more positive impact on a broader group of locals, not just a few big companies, to improve environmentally friendly mobility and consumption and long-term economic investment. We want a sustainable visitor economy that doesn’t harm the liveability of our city.” – Huffington Post
New Research: Attitudes About Free Speech And Regulation Online
Levels of trust in social media companies to make the right decisions about what people can say or post on their websites and apps are low, with more than 8 in 10 Americans saying they trust the companies “not much” (44%) or “not at all” (40%). – Knight Foundation
The Lasting Damage That Movies Like “Gone With The Wind” Have Wrought
For years now activists have been attempting to cancel the Confederate flag and eliminate other monuments to the fallen Confederacy, along with removing the names of former slave owners and white supremacists that continue to adorn buildings on various school and college campuses, among numerous other attempts to destroy the legacy of the slaveholding south that was supposed to have died with the end of the civil war. We can now add films celebratory of this defeated legacy like Gone With the Wind to the list as well. – The Guardian
It’s Bloomsday… er, Zoomsday. It Reminds What We’ll Return To
When the public again returns to full contact — with embraces and smooches, and eating together — what will matter most is not the freedom to shop without masks, or to fly without fear. What we’ll be hungry for is the strength of culture to pull us together. As with the study and love of a difficult author, those concerts and movies and cultural gatherings will again become the commonality through which we define our lives. “Ulysses” has a fabulous statement along these lines, silently spoken by Stephen Dedalus. – Los Angeles Times
Now That Confederate Statues Are Coming Down, Why Do We Need Statues To Famous People Anyway?
It’s worth thinking anew about the value of living memorials, and why so little of our mad fetish for public memorialization has been devoted to them. Could we rethink not just the whom and what we seek to venerate, but also evolve beyond the need for traditional memorials and monuments altogether? – Washington Post
Survey: Artists Are The Most Non-Essential Workers
Many on Twitter and Instagram voiced surprise at—but also saw the funny side of—the results of a 1,000-person survey published in the Singaporean newspaper the Straits Times. The publication listed the top five essential jobs, with doctors and nurses coming out top, and the top five non-essential jobs with artist pipping telemarketer to the top position. Cold calls are seemingly more essential than art, in the eyes of those surveyed. In the poll, 71% of people listed artist as a non-essential job, while 86% listed doctor or nurse as an essential job. – The Art Newspaper
A Deep Dive Into The Alternative Universe Of YouTube
Popular YouTube videos are filled with flashes of memes, zoom-ins, funny voices, gurning faces and whiplash-inducing cultural references. Watching a Pewdiepie video is like having some sort of episode. I thought that my generation of Generation X-ers were knowingly abstract, but this generation is dealing with so many layers of whimsy and reference it’s often disorienting. – Irish Times
Book Critics Circle Board Members Resign Over Statement
Laurie Hertzel, who had served as president since 2019, announced over the weekend she was leaving the 24-member board. Her departure came two days after another board member, Ugandan-American writer Hope Wabuke, posted redacted screenshots on Twitter of an email exchange that included correspondence from Hertzel and board member Carlin Romano. The NBCC had been crafting a response to the worldwide protests against police racism and violence. – Baltimore Sun (AP)