American academic freedom is in peril
Academics researching online misinformation in the US are learning a hard lesson: Academic freedom cannot be taken for granted. They face a concerted effort—including by members of Congress—
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to undermine or silence their work documenting false and misleading internet content. The claim is that online misinformation researchers are trying to silence conservative voices. The evidence suggests just the opposite.
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These researchers—from tenured professors to undergraduate students—have been subjected to online harassment, lawsuits, and repeated smears in partisan media. Some have received physical threats to their safety in comments, emails, phone calls, and even letters.
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Scholars at several universities have been questioned, investigated, and summoned before committees of Congress, ostensibly for colluding with the Biden administration to censor conservatives. No credible evidence of the alleged collusion has surfaced.
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