A truly riveting read and a book that is of topical importance. The research is meticulous, the approach is methodical and the reasoning measured.

A fascinating and in-depth look at the evolution of social and mass media companies.

I really enjoyed this - for such an academic topic, it's written with a surprisingly accessible voice. It covers an important topic with even-handed logic, and I think it would make an interesting companion read to books like Information Wars.

A really interesting look inside what's happening with journalism, social media, and tech companies.

A stark reminder that everything we read — whether it’s online or not, in a book or newspaper or social media post— people listen and absorb that information. And social media is the biggest and fast way for people to find and learn about new information happening. With false news running rampant and propaganda occurring right in front of our unsuspecting eyes, it’s important to become aware of what we see daily.

A very good book.

SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST by Philip M. Napoli is an important contribution and essential reference to the ongoing debate about the role and regulation of social media platforms. Praised by dana boyd and others, this work focuses on how social media platforms (like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, and WhatsApp) have "unexpectedly become key platforms for how journalism (and disinformation posing as journalism) is produced, disseminated, and consumed." Napoli explores their "gatekeeping" roles, noting, for example, "that Facebook went from accounting for 16 percent of referrals to online news sites in 2013 to more than 40 percent in 2017" although he also later questions whether we have seen the peak. Napoli provides historical context, too, in that he contrasts the "unprecedented level of regulatory oversight" for radio broadcasting technology (e.g., federal licensing, indecency rules, and public affairs programming requirements) with less dramatic changes for other technologies like cable and the "pinballing ... between the imposition and elimination of net neutrality regulations." This work is written by an academic and while therefore somewhat wordy and jargon-laden, it should be viewed by more than policy wonks and be of concern to all. Napoli is writing "about a problem related to the effective functioning of the democratic process, ... the very nature of the problem undermines the means for developing and adopting solutions." Napoli is a Duke University Professor and thorough researcher; roughly a third of SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST contains extensive source notes and additional commentary.

Thoroughly researched, Napoli's book opens a window into the societal structure of modern times and the impact social media has.

This is a useful book for anyone interested in the societal impacts of social media, and who are grappling with the problem of what to do about them.

Overall, Napoli provides a very thorough discussion of the many problems presented by the current media ecosystem and social media's role in it. The detail he goes through also helps you appreciate the complexity involved and the seriousness of the issue.

The book is extensively researched, and so helpful if you want to get caught up on academic research about the topic. This also means that it's not a light read. I'd recommend it to people who want a deeper understanding of the media environment, in order to think through policy and figure out how to dig ourselves out of the hole we're in.

Napoli makes a lot of compelling arguments in the book. For example, that companies like Facebook and Twitter should be thought of as media companies, not tech companies, even though they don't like that label. And how a lot of the concepts we've taken for granted, such as "counterspeech" and traditional interpretations of the First Amendment, don't apply very well in the modern era.

All in all, a helpful read.