The Future of Civics with Joshua M. Scacco, PhD

Tricia Friedman and Dr. Joshua Scacco explore the evolving landscape of political communication, emphasizing the impact of technology and attention fatigue on democracy. They discuss the dual nature of change in political engagement, the importance of understanding human behavior, and the challenges posed by the entertainmentification of politics. Scacco highlights the need for future researchers to adapt to new communication styles and the role of regulation in shaping political messaging. The conversation concludes with a focus on building community and preparing individuals for meaningful democratic engagement.

Joshua M. Scacco (PhD, University of Texas at Austin) is the founding Director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy at the University of South Florida. He also is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication. Dr. Scacco specializes in political communication, media content and effects, and quantitative research methods. He is the co-author, with Kevin Coe, of "The Ubiquitous Presidency: Presidential Communication and Digital Democracy in Tumultuous Times" (Oxford, 2021). Dr. Scacco also serves as a Faculty Researcher with the award-winning Center for Media Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin.

Chapters

00:00 The Evolution of Political Communication
03:02 Navigating Attention in Modern Politics
06:54 Emerging Technologies and Political Engagement
12:30 Understanding Human Behavior in Politics
17:15 The Entertainmentification of Politics
21:28 Preparing Future Researchers
27:12 Regulating Information in Democracy
32:58 Building Community for Democratic Resilience

 

Connect with our guest

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jscacco/

 

Learn more about our show sponsor

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