Media Bits and Bytes — June 24, 2025
- Split in MAGA Media
- DIY Terrorism
- TikTokers vs the Birthday Boy
- MSM vs Zohran
- Smartphones and the Avalanche of Irrelevance
- Kids are Protesting ICE in Roblox
- Call Her a Journalist, Not an Influencer
- Moratorium on State AI Regulation
- Meta’s Latest Attack on Privacy
- Big Video Games Win for SAG-AFTRA
Fox News, with its shameless push for another nation-building project, appears committed to testing his promise to be a harbinger of peace. We will soon see if Rupert Murdoch gets the war he so obviously wants.
By Ben Makuch
The Guardian
A rash of recent assassinations have brought on congressional scrutiny and concern among law enforcement agencies who are wary of an age of political polarization turning deadly. While the willingness to commit these acts has certainly increased, the tradecraft to pull them off has never been more obtainable.
Across social media, people claimed to have reserved tickets en masse to Trump’s birthday parade with no intent of showing up. Last time this happened, Trump tried to ban America’s most popular app.
By Raina Lipsitz
FAIR
There’s an art to writing a profile of a political candidate that sows doubt about their fitness for office without attacking them directly. A profile of Zohran Mamdani creates the impression that he is unwilling to compromise and unfit to govern. His rejection of false dichotomies has made some colleagues eager to defeat him.
Smartphones and the Avalanche of Irrelevance
By Dorje C. Brody
The Conversation
The discussions around the potential negative aspects of children’s smartphone use often focus on the possible mental health risks of social media, or spending too much time glued to a screen On the other hand, smartphones may help children stay connected and interact with supportive communities.
Kids are Protesting ICE in Roblox
By Taylor Lorenz
Teen Vogue
Last week — as thousands took to the streets to protest ICE in the offline world — Roblox players protested within the game, battling cops, breaking down barricades, waving Mexican flags, and facing off across a line of players dressed in police SWAT gear.
Call Her a Journalist, Not an Influencer
By Yona TR Golding
Columbia Journalism Review
Lisa Remillard has posted regular videos on TikTok in which she dives into complex topics—the consumer price index, ICE raids, Trump’s rescissions package—to a deeply engaged audience that comments prodigiously. She focuses on federal politics, with a particular eye toward topics that affect her audience directly.
Moratorium on State AI Regulation
By Anthony Ha
Techcrunch
A Republican effort to prevent states from enforcing their own AI regulations cleared a key procedural hurdle on Saturday. The rule would withhold federal broadband funding from states if they try to enforce AI regulations in the next 10 years.
Meta’s Latest Attack on Privacy
By Lena Cohen and Rory Mir
Electronic Frontier Foundation
Researchers recently caught Meta using an egregious new tracking technique to spy on you. Exploiting a technical loophole, the company was able to have their apps snoop on users’ web browsing. This tracking technique stands out for its flagrant disregard of core security protections built into phones and browsers.
Big Video Games Win for SAG-AFTRA
By Ryan Pearson
Bounding Into Comics
Nearly a year after video game voice actors who were members of SAG-AFTRA went on strike, the end may finally be in sight. The union announced a “tentative agreement” has been made with major video game industry companies, instructing members that the strike is suspended while the finer points are settled.