xvi

Preface

seemed like the platforms had found a path to redemption from the backlash of
2016, as users began to appreciate the critical function they played in this
distressing time, and the ﬁght against medical disinformation (even when it
ﬁltered out some “good” speech) is not one that engendered a partisan response.
Just as the new (ab)normal of the pandemic seemed to take hold, however,
the killing of George Floyd followed by the protests around the United States
dominated the attention of the nation. The history being made in the streets was
not a social media story – although publications certainly sought to ﬁnd the
“social media angle” to the protests. To be sure, domestic and foreign sources of
disinformation and incitement saw the protests as an opportunity to fan the
ﬂames of division. Yet any analysis of the relationship of social media to the
protests should not distract from the genuine grievances that led grassroots
organizers to take to the streets.
Social_Media_and_Democracy