Jacob Groshek, Ph.D.

Since much of my time is spent researching what effects new media might have on political practices and policies, I maintain a profile in some common locations like Facebook and Twitter. I also try to stay current with trends in blogging and citizen reporting. That said, I'm a skeptic of the latest round of Web 2.0 prognostications.

I've yet to see empirical evidence that the political media effects landscape has been reshaped in a meaningful way. In fact, some of my research with Daniela Dimitrova suggests that increased use of blogs for news is related to lower levels of political knowledge (manuscript). Ultimately, society still needs good fact-checked journalism--not just unfilitered, recycled feeds.

But, as Bob Dylan said, "it's only my opinion, I may be right or wrong, you'll find them both in the the Grand Canyon, at sundown." Leave a comment here or connect with me elsewhere (Facebook, Twitter, or e-mail).