How Did It Come to This? Part 3, the role of media technology in political polarization

The American political bubbles are now made of steel; we share fake news that reinforces our beliefs, and reject realities that don’t conform with them. Is there any way out? Erik Fogg dives into the history of media technology for a glimmer of hope. We’ve seen it before: fake news was literally one of the first uses of the printing press. There’s a lot we can learn from what happened in the past.

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Erik Fogg

Erik Fogg is co-author of ReConsider’s written work, co-host of the ReConsider podcast and author of Wedged: How you became a tool of the partisan Political Establishment and How to Start Thinking for Yourself Again. Erik has a masters degree in political science from MIT and has spent years working with various NGOs, Harvard, MIT, United Nations and various private advocacy groups organizations. He’s ghost-written published books. He’s now running a software startup. Erik grew up in a very red part of Pennsylvania and moved to a very blue part of Massachusetts. Having a foot in both worlds has enabled Erik to see how both sides of the political spectrum caricature the other and has sparked his mission to create a real dialogue that cuts through the noise. Erik podcasts from his office in suburban San Mateo, surrounded by 17th and 18th-century European art, a costume-construction toolkit and table, a VR kit, and a small bed for his Boston Terrier, Oscar.

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