What’s the Feiler Faster thesis?

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The Feiler Faster Thesis (FFT) suggests that the pace of society, particularly in American politics, is driven by the media’s ability to report news and the public’s desire for information. It traces its roots back to James Gleick’s book “Faster” and remains a matter of speculation regarding its driving force.

The Feiler Faster Thesis (FFT) is a term used in modern journalism which argues that the growing pace of society, particularly as seen in American politics, is matched by and perhaps driven by the media’s ability to report news and the public’s desire for information. public. It is named after author Bruce Feiler, who is credited with developing the concept regarding the 2000 primary. Journalist Mickey Kaus coined the term “Feiler Faster Thesis” in an article published on March 9, 2000.

Mickey Kaus first wrote about Feiler Faster’s thesis on February 24, 2000 in his blog, Kausfiles, and in an article in the online magazine Slate, although he hasn’t given it a name yet. In this article and the next, Kaus explained that technologies like the Internet and 24-hour cable news allow information to be reported at an accelerated rate. He also noted the compressed schedule of the XNUMX US general election primaries and wrote that the trend of accelerated media coverage has reduced the impact of increasing the pace of politics. An important part of Feiler Faster’s thesis is that modern society is able to process information at a faster rate, not just that the speed at which information is reported has increased.

Feiler Faster Thesis traces its roots further back than Feiler, in a 1999 book by James Gleick called Faster. The main thesis of the book is that the pace of society, particularly in America, has increased in step with modern technology. People lead faster and hectic lives, spending less time on any task in order to adapt more. Efficiency is the goal of our times, in everyday life, in politics and in the exchange of information.

While one can easily see Feiler Faster’s thesis in action on a daily basis, it is unclear to what extent and in what direction the media, politics and the general public are influencing each other to become ever faster. Whether the driving force is people’s desire for information or the sophistication of today’s technology remains a matter of speculation.




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