Pay Attention

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think Pakman has been reading my mind. Literally. Pay Attention is a sharp, unsettling look at our well founded anxieties over how the attention economy and AI-driven media are warping our politics, our psychology, and our sense of reality–and what it will take to reclaim them. Pakman is well positioned to take on this challenge: his livelihood depends on understanding how algorithms reward outrage, punish nuance, and quietly rewire our brains. We can’t afford to keep our heads buried in the proverbial sand any longer and Pay Attention will help you understand the challenges we face–and how we can overcome them.” – Jessica Tarlov

“David Pakman is a pioneer of independent news and his book like his daily reporting is a guiding light for transparency and democracy.” – Ben Meiselas

“David Pakman has been on the front lines of the attention economy longer than almost anyone, and in Pay Attention he finally pulls back the curtain on how this machine really works–and what it’s doing to our democracy and our brains. As a fellow independent creator, I recognize every pressure he describes, from chasing thumbnails and titles to the quiet ways algorithms reward outrage and punish nuance, and Pakman captures it with rare clarity and honesty. Pay Attention doesn’t just diagnose the problem; it gives readers the practical tools they need to reclaim their focus, resist manipulation, and navigate politics and media without becoming another product of the feed.” – Brian Tyler Cohen, New York Times bestselling author of The Day After and Shameless

”“From the emergence of the practice of A/B testing of video titles and thumbnails, to the advent of individualized feeds, to the rise of the algorithmic selection for content with heightened emotion, Pakman shows how creators and platforms have adapted to keep people watching and reacting. He sheds intriguing light on the tenuous reality of being a creator, where the illusion of freedom is undercut by the need to constantly evolve to match the algorithm…it’s a revealing look at how platforms work hard to trap users in an endless scroll.” - Publishers Weekly

David Pakman is the Host and Executive Producer of The David Pakman Show, a popular podcast and YouTube channel with more than 3 million subscribers and over 3 billion total video views. He is known for his incisive progressive political analysis and opinion, delivered without dogma or tribalism, and with a focus on avoiding the orthodoxies of the day. With a specialization in economic and cultural issues, he has been featured on over 100 media outlets, podcasts, radio and television shows, and in written interviews.

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