Peter Loge
@ploge.bsky.social
330 followers 270 following 340 posts
Director School of Media and Public Affairs at GW, director Project on Ethics in Political Communication, former political condotierre.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
ploge.bsky.social
A reminder to everyone covering or commenting on the Virginia governor's race: The election is not a bell weather or mandate on the president. The president's party has lost the Virginia governor's race all but once in least half a century.

www.nga.org/former-gover...
Virginia
www.nga.org
ploge.bsky.social
Thank you for posting this right before I go teach a graduate course on media effects. For your planning purposes, posting at about 5pm ET on Mondays would be ideal.
ploge.bsky.social
Journalists and pundits: Please stop calling the Virginia governor's race a "bellweather." The president's party nearly always loses the Virginia governor's race. If anything, the US presidential election is a bellweather for Virgnia.

share.google/u4JzegwqAwRH...
Virginia
share.google
ploge.bsky.social
The latest from colleague @davekarpf.bsky.social in The Atlantic. Dave is always worth reading.
davekarpf.bsky.social
My biggest concern about TikTok being sold to Trump-aligned American investors is that, at this point, there is far more cause for alarm from domestic surveillance than from foreign adversaries.

www.theatlantic.com/technology/2...
The MAGA Media Takeover
Trump and his powerful friends are creating a dangerous moment for free speech.
www.theatlantic.com
ploge.bsky.social
So cool to be asked to contribute to a special issue of a magazine to which I subscribed. Huge thanks to Campaigns & Elections for indulging me. This may be the only time you read Clark's Dairy (RIP), AOL, Protagoras, Bierstadt, and AI in the same article.

campaignsandelections.com/ce-45/the-po...
The Power of AI is New, But It Raises Age Old Ethical Questions
It can be tempting to believe that AI changes everything. But the nefarious uses of AI aren't nefarious because they use AI.
campaignsandelections.com
ploge.bsky.social
For 250 years, the American story has been an optimistic one full of flawed carachters, broken promises, and false starts, but ultimately moving toward the promise of a more perfect union. What's our next chapter?

What Will America’s Story Be After Trump? www.nytimes.com/2025/09/16/o...
Opinion | What Will America’s Story Be After Trump?
www.nytimes.com
Reposted by Peter Loge
geoffgarin.bsky.social
Someone should be emphasizing that we know absolutely nothing about the person who murdered Charlie Kirk or why they did it.
Reposted by Peter Loge
policommethics.bsky.social
Political violence is unacceptable.

The point of democracy is that we argue instead of shooting. Violence is, by definition, anti-democratic.

Do not promote, applaud, mock, or minimize political violence.
ploge.bsky.social
Two high school friends, one a Democrat the other a Republican, started a national organization to fix politics. They are committed to principled partisanship and honest debate rather than partisan ranting and talking points. This is what politics should look like.

www.deseret.com/politics/202...
2 high schoolers want to heal the political divide
David Chen and Calder Law are bringing their idea to other states.
www.deseret.com
ploge.bsky.social
My advice for students at the start of the fall 2025 semester: Be curious without preconceptions.

Come for the Socrates, Kropotkin, Zevon, and Lana Del Rey, stay for the marmots playing ping pong in a bouncy house.

www.peterloge.com/uncategorize...
Advice to students at the start of Fall 2025: Be Curious Without Preconceptions – PeterLoge.com
www.peterloge.com
ploge.bsky.social
A grad school obsession of mine. The films define that which is out of our control which has the effect of absolving us from blame.

War Games fits our AI moment, we put the machine back in control of our fate.

Two more for the list are Threads and Miracle Mile.
www.imdb.com/title/tt0097...
Miracle Mile (1988) ⭐ 7.0 | Action, Drama, Romance
1h 27m | R
www.imdb.com
ploge.bsky.social
A Basque journalist was denied entry into the US to cover a Basque festival. The Basques helped shape American democracy, from John Adams borrowing ideas for America's founding to elected officials today with Basque roots.

Appalling begins to describe it.

www.ktvb.com/article/news...
Basque journalist denied US entry, misses Jaialdi festival return
A Basque journalist was denied U.S. entry to cover the return of Jaialdi. He was turned away despite having a proper visa and no criminal record.
www.ktvb.com
ploge.bsky.social
Updating a media effects syllabus for this fall - what recent work on the spiral of silence should I include?
ploge.bsky.social
I'm flattered, but probably would have gone with accordian.
ploge.bsky.social
"Legacy Night" was embarrasing. Why would anyone pay to sit in 90 degree heat to watch a profoundly terrible team while being reminded that the team hasn't been good since Clinton was President? (yes, I know, 2004, but that was still two decades ago in a league that's three decades old).
ploge.bsky.social
@dcunitedofficial.bsky.social is a bad soccer team that is getting worse. "Legacy Night" was embarassing reminders of a once proud franchise that is now more interested in p.r. stunts than players. I've had season tix since the start, for at least 10 years it's felt like a charitable contribution.
ploge.bsky.social
A good rule of thumb in politics is that if you're explaining, you're losing.