The Information Cycle

We've seen it happen dozens of times. First, there's an event -- the 2016 election, for example. Many of us learn the outcome the night of thanks to Twitter or Facebook. The news, on TV, print, and radio, formalizes the result the next day. After those stop running, we get glossy magazine profiles in TIME and Rolling Stone delving into some of the key events and figures. Those dry up after a few months. Then the high profile books, like Joshua Green's The Devil's Bargain, start coming out and getting talked about. Then more books. Eventually, the election is incorporated into a wider picture, one more historical event placed in context with what came before and after.

This is the Information Cycle, and knowing what it is can help you a lot in your research, both in school and after you graduate!