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  2. December 2017

December 2017

Sharing the News in a Polarized Congress

Political divides in the American news landscape do not end with Americans’ preferences for different news sources; rather, they extend to how members of the U.S. Congress communicate with constituents in the digital age. Between January 2015 and July 2017, nearly half (48%) of the links to national news outlets that members of Congress shared on Facebook were to outlets predominantly linked to by members of just one party, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis.

Sponsor 

Federal Communications Commission

Date 
Tue, 01/30/2018 - 16:30 to 18:30

Topics selected for FCC open meeting agendas will be posted on the Commission's website approximately three weeks prior to the Commission's next monthly meeting. The Commission will also issue a public notice of the "Commission Meeting Agenda" one week before the meeting and announce at that time the items that are scheduled for the agenda.


Related Headlines 
FCC Chairman Pai Proposes Over $500 Million In Funding To Promote Rural Broadband Deployment
Wireless carriers must deliver emergency alerts more precisely
Sponsor 

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Department of Commerce

Date 
Wed, 01/17/2018 - 20:00

 Effective digital inclusion programs are essential for communities, supporting efforts such as workforce development, educational attainment, financial literacy, and better access to health care. Finding financial support for such programs requires creative partnerships, coordination with civic leaders, and messaging that articulates the benefits of such programs to communities. Join BroadbandUSA's webinar to learn how communities have funded digital inclusion programs using a variety of funding options such as local philanthropies, city budget mechanisms, and private sector support.


Sponsor 

National Institute of Standards and Technology

Department of Commerce

Date 
Wed, 12/20/2017 - 20:00 to 22:00

The Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity (“The Framework”) was issued on February 12, 2014. This voluntary framework – based on existing standards, guidelines, and practices – provides a prioritized, flexible, repeatable, performance-based, and cost-effective approach to managing cybersecurity risk at all levels in an organization and is applicable to organizations of all sizes and sectors. The Framework was developed in a year-long, collaborative process in which NIST served as a convener for industry, academia, and government stakeholders.


Next Up on Net Neutrality

House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announced plans to introduce a net neutrality bill soon. “Everybody is for a free and open internet, and that is what we want to preserve," Chairman Blackburn said in a video released on her Twitter page the same day as the FCC vote. "You can look for legislation next week where Congress will do its job.

Digital Inclusion and Equity: Why Now

[Commentary] Why are we talking about digital inclusion and equity now in a way that is different from, say, eight years ago? The obvious answer – very different presidential administrations – only touches the surface. Consumers are adopting digital tools like never before and, in some segments of the U.S., we’ve reached a “tech abundance” threshold that is driving a bottom-up interest in digital inclusion in many communities. Tech abundance doesn’t mean that everyone in society has adopted digital tools.

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