VidCon Anaheim

Galen Stocking is a Senior Computational Social Scientist at the Pew Research Center, where he uses large datasets and advanced statistical and computational techniques to understand the public’s news consumption. Prior to that, Galen was a Graduate Fellow at the Center for Nanotechnology in Society. He received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara in Political Science, with his dissertation addressing the media’s agenda setting power in the digital environment.

Industry Track

Creators, Platforms & Power: How Social Media is Reshaping News and Public Discourse

Duration: 45 minutes

Location: Ballroom AB (Industry Mainstage)

Thursday, June 19

2:15 pm - 3:00 pm

Featuring: Aaron Parnas, Adam Aleksic (Linguistics Creator at Etymology Nerd), Galen Stocking (Senior Computational Social Scientist at Pew Research Center) and more

The way people consume news and engage with politics is shifting fast, with social platforms—and the individuals on them—reshaping public understanding of critical issues. This two-part session explores how creators are stepping into a role once dominated by legacy media.First, Galen Stocking of Pew Research shares new data on why—and which—audiences are turning to creators for news. Then, a panel of influential creators unpacks the responsibilities and challenges of delivering accurate information in an era of algorithmic bubbles and viral misinformation, and how they’re using their platforms to drive civic engagement and public discourse.

Participants