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Campaign ’16: How Coverage Rerouted

“Breitbart’s effectiveness came not only in getting people to share its stories, but in shaping what other, more mainstream outlets did with them.”

Summary: This fascinating report from the Berkman Klein Center at Harvard Law School used data analysis to evaluate over 2 million stories from the 2016 presidential election. The result? Far-right upstarts and fake news sites were able to leverage the power of platforms like Facebook and Twitter to amplify ultra-conservative and alt-right perspectives. Ultimately, these voices were able to drive mainstream election coverage, resulting in a more right-leaning focus across the board.

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