Algorithmic Silos Fragment Reality, Undermining Journalism and Trust

Key Quotes

"The only time that there seemed to be a consensus on a video like this that came out was during george floyd right where you had mass consensus about it and then you had what amounted to a very short lived like i don't know i don't even know what the right term is but like cultural revolution for at least a couple months right where you had like every bank putting out like we're going to do social justice now or the nba putting jerseys out that's saying like we're going to do social justice and that was the only time that people really agreed upon a video and everything else has been totally polarized in terms of the interpretation of it"

Jay Caspian Kang observes that the George Floyd incident was a rare moment of widespread consensus regarding a video, contrasting it with the polarized reactions to other events. He suggests that the brief period of corporate and institutional social justice statements following Floyd's murder was a unique, short-lived phenomenon. Kang highlights how most other videos elicit deeply divided interpretations, indicating a fractured public discourse.

"And this one i think because of differing angles and whatever you want to say like any shred of doubt that can be cast on this right any interpretation that can be done it functions in the same way that like a nfl touchdown whether it's a catch or not does right based on the fan base like if you get the one angle that shows your interpretation then you're going to do it"

Jay Caspian Kang uses the analogy of an NFL touchdown call to explain how interpretations of events become polarized. He suggests that individuals or groups will seek out and focus on specific video angles or details that confirm their pre-existing beliefs, much like fans interpret a controversial call based on their allegiance. This selective focus, Kang implies, prevents a shared understanding of reality.

"And so the part of it that is appealing to people and the part of it that feels like i don't know authentic i guess or insurrectionary in some sorts of in an information sense is the fact that it is from a random person right and you know we can argue whether nick shirley is an authentic person or not or is just a random person i don't think it seems like he is right that the minnesota gop came out and basically said that they had been working with him and it wasn't just this guy david right like who was like following around it was like it was like fear and loathing in las vegas almost where he's like this is my attorney you know and the guy just starts showing up we can't do it that way right and the way that media is going where it's so live streamed and the most famous people for young people are people like neon or sneko or speed right where they're like just are always on going into new situations and the thrill of it is whether or not they're confronted or not that's what this guy nick shirley is tapping into and we we can't do that right like we can't compete with that and so i don't know i don't think there's a good answer to how we do it"

Jay Caspian Kang discusses the appeal of "random people" like Nick Shirley in media, suggesting their perceived authenticity and independence from traditional institutions resonate with audiences. He notes that while Shirley's approach might seem like genuine journalism, his connections to political groups undermine this perception. Kang contrasts this with the live-streamed, confrontational style of online personalities, which he believes traditional media cannot replicate.

"The phrase that vance used was absolute immunity right i mean that's terrible that is chilling i've been talking to people i know here in the bay area and they're worried about the protest part too because i think that what will happen is that probably this weekend sometime that there will be protests around the country and that some of those will be safer than others but i think everyone will have in the back of their mind yeah this could go sideways in a way that i don't think they probably felt about no kings for example or something like that right or the women's march or some of these other mass protests and i think that maybe some of the reason why you're not seeing at least for now right i think it might happen this weekend for now you're not seeing this great outswelling of protest in minneapolis for example is because people are scared"

Jay Caspian Kang expresses concern over JD Vance's use of the term "absolute immunity," finding it chilling and indicative of a broader societal fear. He suggests this fear is impacting potential protests, making people hesitant to participate compared to past movements like the Women's March. Kang posits that the perceived risk of escalation and lack of accountability, as implied by "absolute immunity," contributes to a subdued public response.

"Twitter was kind of that you know for a little bit right and that's why we all liked it and we would be like i don't know i didn't think i would be able to talk to and interact with people in different parts of the industry or even people who were working in politics and stuff like that and that was very exciting and now it's just you know none of that is true anymore it's just like everybody is either selling something or they're you know kind of being demagogic about whatever it is it's like you know i find myself thinking that when i whenever i go back to dc which i do very sporadically now and i get back to la and i was like how's dc i'm like well you know it's it's horrible and i'm glad i'm not there anymore but it's small and dense and concentrated enough that you always run into people who were in politics and media which you don't it doesn't happen as much in la and i'm like oh having those conversations with people you know i'm glad i don't do it every single day i'm glad i don't live there anymore i did that for 10 years but it is nice to be around people in real life who share those interests where you can actually talk to them without having to have it mediated by algorithms that's a nice thing so maybe i'll try to get one of those going down here down here in la too"

Jay Caspian Kang reflects on the loss of Twitter as a "village square" for public discourse, highlighting its past ability to foster interaction between diverse voices in media and politics. He contrasts this with the current state of the platform, where he feels interactions are often transactional or demagogic. Kang expresses a desire for the return of more authentic, in-person discussions, similar to those found in dense environments like Washington D.C., but mediated by genuine connection rather than algorithms.