Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
@rwmcmahon.bsky.social
I think about the intersection of surveillance studies, media, communication, & tech. Should be writing.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
"there's a new serif in town"
Marco Rubio ordered diplomats to return to using Times New Roman font in official communications, calling his predecessor's decision to adopt Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move
Rubio Stages Font Coup: Times New Roman Ousts Calibri
The secretary of state called it a "wasteful" diversity move, according to an internal department cable seen by Reuters.
www.huffpost.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:06 AM
"there's a new serif in town"
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
MAGA’s ongoing war on academic freedom, reflected in headlines from the last 24 hours.
November 14, 2025 at 1:17 PM
MAGA’s ongoing war on academic freedom, reflected in headlines from the last 24 hours.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Public records show DHS is deploying the "Homeland Security Information Network" at college protests and football games.
DHS Is Deploying a Powerful Surveillance Tool at College Football Games
Public records show DHS is deploying the "Homeland Security Information Network" at college protests and football games.
www.404media.co
November 11, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Public records show DHS is deploying the "Homeland Security Information Network" at college protests and football games.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Always Watching: How ICE’s Plan to Monitor Social Media 24/7 Threatens Privacy and Civic Participation | ICE is building a public-private surveillance loop that transforms everyday online activity into potential evidence.
Always Watching: How ICE’s Plan to Monitor Social Media 24/7 Threatens Privacy and Civic Participation - Bucks County Beacon
ICE is building a public-private surveillance loop that transforms everyday online activity into potential evidence.
buckscountybeacon.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Always Watching: How ICE’s Plan to Monitor Social Media 24/7 Threatens Privacy and Civic Participation | ICE is building a public-private surveillance loop that transforms everyday online activity into potential evidence.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
1. In the wake on Mamdani’s win, we’ll see a lot more far right anti-urban sentiment. Here’s a thread on its roots and evolution.
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
November 5, 2025 at 7:58 AM
1. In the wake on Mamdani’s win, we’ll see a lot more far right anti-urban sentiment. Here’s a thread on its roots and evolution.
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
The idea that the city is evil and corrupt, and the countryside innocent and pure, goes back a long way: to Theocritus in Alexandria, and to the Old Testament. 🧵
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
“While the growing mutualism between tech and government strengthens, it may leave some consumers behind, particularly women concerned about surveillance and the exploitation of reproductive health data.”
The Frightening Reason Some Women Are Ditching Their Oura Rings
“It’s not paranoid to be concerned about your data. It’s justified.”
slate.com
October 3, 2025 at 7:15 PM
“While the growing mutualism between tech and government strengthens, it may leave some consumers behind, particularly women concerned about surveillance and the exploitation of reproductive health data.”
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
this exists it is called thinking
September 20, 2025 at 12:15 PM
this exists it is called thinking
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
August 30, 2025 at 8:10 PM
🧵 Authoritarianism, Democratization, and Coalition Politics.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
The consensus around here is, more or less, that the United States is currently a consolidating authoritarian regime controlled by a mix of reactionary populists and fascists.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
I have a short essay on the obsession with #connection and its conjoined ethical and #cybersecurity problems, just out in First Monday, "Only (dis)connect..."
(First Monday, BTW, is one of those genuinely open access, no APCs, journals we should support...)
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
(First Monday, BTW, is one of those genuinely open access, no APCs, journals we should support...)
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
Only (dis)connect: Facing the intertwined (in)security of self, systems and society
| First Monday
firstmonday.org
August 22, 2025 at 9:10 AM
I have a short essay on the obsession with #connection and its conjoined ethical and #cybersecurity problems, just out in First Monday, "Only (dis)connect..."
(First Monday, BTW, is one of those genuinely open access, no APCs, journals we should support...)
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
(First Monday, BTW, is one of those genuinely open access, no APCs, journals we should support...)
firstmonday.org/ojs/index.ph...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
i continue to think that “family annihilator” is a useful frame for the trump administration futurism.com/white-house-...
White House Orders NASA to Destroy Important Satellite
The White House has instructed NASA employees to destroy two major, climate change-focused satellite missions.
futurism.com
August 5, 2025 at 11:12 PM
i continue to think that “family annihilator” is a useful frame for the trump administration futurism.com/white-house-...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
This is real I shit you not
August 5, 2025 at 9:59 PM
This is real I shit you not
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Privacy for me but not for thee: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Senators Could Vote Imminently to Remove Their Homes, Travel Info From Internet
The Senate could vote imminently to allow members of Congress and their staff to demand websites take down info about their houses and travel details.
www.rollingstone.com
July 31, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Privacy for me but not for thee: www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Unconscionable
July 19, 2025 at 8:37 PM
Unconscionable
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
When Michael Buozis and I wrote this, we didn’t have such a useful example case as what’s going on with Mamdani, but it illustrates a key point that’s only become clearer: news elites shape discourse primarily to preserve their own authority: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
July 7, 2025 at 5:06 PM
When Michael Buozis and I wrote this, we didn’t have such a useful example case as what’s going on with Mamdani, but it illustrates a key point that’s only become clearer: news elites shape discourse primarily to preserve their own authority: www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
This July 4th, Americans will celebrate the freedoms they used to have.
July 4, 2025 at 12:51 PM
This July 4th, Americans will celebrate the freedoms they used to have.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
We’ve just published a fabulous new issue of Surveillance & Society with articles on #desire, student tracking, #Tesla data collection, #surveillance #art, workplace surveillance, and urban “data walks.” The journal is always fully #openaccess.
ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/su...
ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/su...
June 5, 2025 at 9:22 PM
We’ve just published a fabulous new issue of Surveillance & Society with articles on #desire, student tracking, #Tesla data collection, #surveillance #art, workplace surveillance, and urban “data walks.” The journal is always fully #openaccess.
ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/su...
ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/su...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
"after-tax profits of the [property and casualty insurance] industry surged to $171 billion last year, compared with $92 billion the previous year."
It's a fatal contradiction that the industry meant to shield people from disasters also profits immensely when disasters happen.
It's a fatal contradiction that the industry meant to shield people from disasters also profits immensely when disasters happen.
June 1, 2025 at 11:34 PM
"after-tax profits of the [property and casualty insurance] industry surged to $171 billion last year, compared with $92 billion the previous year."
It's a fatal contradiction that the industry meant to shield people from disasters also profits immensely when disasters happen.
It's a fatal contradiction that the industry meant to shield people from disasters also profits immensely when disasters happen.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Wow.
Town hall audience on Republicans’ Medicaid and SNAP cuts: “People are going to die.”
Republican senator smirks: “Well, we all are going to die.”
Town hall audience on Republicans’ Medicaid and SNAP cuts: “People are going to die.”
Republican senator smirks: “Well, we all are going to die.”
May 30, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Wow.
Town hall audience on Republicans’ Medicaid and SNAP cuts: “People are going to die.”
Republican senator smirks: “Well, we all are going to die.”
Town hall audience on Republicans’ Medicaid and SNAP cuts: “People are going to die.”
Republican senator smirks: “Well, we all are going to die.”
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
There is a false dichotomy drawn between "the ivory tower" and "the real world," and I'm here to report that in a post-industrial society, your real-world economy absolutely hinges on the university.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
A must read
May 18, 2025 at 9:20 AM
There is a false dichotomy drawn between "the ivory tower" and "the real world," and I'm here to report that in a post-industrial society, your real-world economy absolutely hinges on the university.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Our editorial, by Gunter Reus, gives you more highlights of our freshly published issue on the state of journalism and democracy in Europe and the US. Check it out! #openaccess #journalismmatters #researchmatters journalistik.online/en/edition-1...
May 2, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Our editorial, by Gunter Reus, gives you more highlights of our freshly published issue on the state of journalism and democracy in Europe and the US. Check it out! #openaccess #journalismmatters #researchmatters journalistik.online/en/edition-1...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
In "Getting the truth out" @teodoratrifonova.bsky.social and @joyjenkins.bsky.social interviewed Central European foreign correspondents about their professional practices and roles of covering the war in #Ukraine. @tanjev.bsky.social @ghooffacker.bsky.social journalistik.online/en/paper-en/...
Getting the truth out
By Teodora Trifonova and Joy Jenkins | The study examines the professional practices of foreign correspondents reporting on the war in Ukraine for Central European media. In-depth interviews with…
journalistik.online
May 2, 2025 at 11:20 PM
In "Getting the truth out" @teodoratrifonova.bsky.social and @joyjenkins.bsky.social interviewed Central European foreign correspondents about their professional practices and roles of covering the war in #Ukraine. @tanjev.bsky.social @ghooffacker.bsky.social journalistik.online/en/paper-en/...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Among the studies in our brand new issue of Journalism Research/Journalistik is a critical discourse analysis of reporting on the #BlackLivesMatter social media movement by Alfred J. Cotton III and Jeffrey Layne Blevins. #journalismmatters #researchmatters journalistik.online/en/paper-en/...
Policing the narrative
By Alfred J. Cotton III and Jeffrey Layne Blevins | Protests emerged worldwide during the summer of 2020 in response to the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May…
journalistik.online
May 2, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Among the studies in our brand new issue of Journalism Research/Journalistik is a critical discourse analysis of reporting on the #BlackLivesMatter social media movement by Alfred J. Cotton III and Jeffrey Layne Blevins. #journalismmatters #researchmatters journalistik.online/en/paper-en/...
Reposted by Robert McMahon, Ph.D.
Academia isn’t perfect, but it offers a rare space to pursue knowledge for its own sake. If research were fully privatized, only profit-driven questions would get asked. Yet many of the most transformative discoveries began as curiosity-driven inquiries whose value wasn’t clear for years.
April 20, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Academia isn’t perfect, but it offers a rare space to pursue knowledge for its own sake. If research were fully privatized, only profit-driven questions would get asked. Yet many of the most transformative discoveries began as curiosity-driven inquiries whose value wasn’t clear for years.