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April 8 & 9 “No Going Back: Global Communication and Post-Pandemic Politics”
by Bridges, Lauren 30 Mar '21

30 Mar '21

CARGC Fellows Early Career Symposium (Virtual) “No Going Back: Global Communication and Post-Pandemic Politics” April 8 & 9 | Virtual RSVP AND FIND VIDEOS HERE: https://bit.ly/cargcfellows We invite you to attend the early career symposium organized by fellows (post-graduate and doctoral) in residence at the Center for Advanced Research in Global Communication (CARGC<https://www.asc.upenn.edu/research/research-centers/center-advanced-researc…>) at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania. This year’s theme, “No Going Back: Global Communication and Post Pandemic Politics”, gathers scholarship that examines the idea of post-pandemic politics through the lens of global communication. The symposium includes a mix of asynchronous and synchronous events. Asynchronous video presentations are available to registrants to watch in advance of the synchronous panels on April 8. There are 21 original research projects available on our website<https://bit.ly/cargcfellows> for attendees to engage with and give feedback prior to and during the conference days. The synchronous panels will include brief remarks from presenters, comments from a designated discussant, and live Q and A session moderated by a CARGC fellow. A live session will take place on April 9 with our keynote, “Communicating Abolition: Radical Possibilities for Post-Pandemic Futures: A Dialogue with Karma R. Chávez (University of Texas at Austin) and Jamila Hammami (CUNY Graduate Center).” For more information see: https://bit.ly/cargcfellows Follow CARGC on Twitter for updates: @AnnenbergCARGC<https://twitter.com/AnnenbergCARGC> #NoGoingBackConf #CARGC2021

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Social Media: A Critical Introduction - third edition
by Christian Fuchs 30 Mar '21

30 Mar '21

New, third edition: Christian Fuchs. 2021. Social Media: A Critical Introduction. London: Sage. Third edition. 448 pages. Preface, introduction, sample chapter, and more infos here: https://fuchsc.uti.at/social-media-a-critical-introduction-third-edition/ Social media are an integral part of contemporary society. From news and politics to language and everyday life, they have changed the way we communicate, use information and understand the world. So we have to ask critical questions about social media. We have to dig deeper into issues of ownership, power, class and (in)justice. This book equips you with a critical understanding of the complexities and contradictions at the heart of social media’s relationship with society. The revised and expanded Third Edition: * Explores populism, racism and nationalism in a new chapter on right-wing authoritarianism. * Introduces the phenomenon of social media influencers in the age of Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat. * Explains how big data is central to social media in a new chapter on big data capitalism and imperialism. * Explores the growing prominence of platforms and platform capitalism. * Challenges you to envision and achieve a truly social media that serves the purposes of a just and fair world. * Analyses fake news and misinformation in the context of Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. There are winners and losers in the age of digital capitalism. This book is an essential guide for anyone who wants to critically understand how we got to digital capitalism, and what we can do about it. Table of Contents List of figures and tables, page ix About the author, page xiii Preface, page xv I FOUNDATIONS, page 1 1 What is a Critical Introduction to Social Media?, page 3 2 What are Social Media?, page 25 3 Big Data Capitalism, page 49 II APPLICATIONS, page 71 4 The Power and Political Economy of Social Media, page 73 5 Google: Good or Evil Search Engine?, page 109 6 Facebook and WhatsApp: Surveillance in the Age of Fake News, page 139 7 Influencer Capitalism: Reified Consciousness in the Age of Instagram, YouTube, and Snapchat, page 173 8 Twitter and Democracy: A New Public Sphere?, page 205 9 Right-wing Authoritarianism on Social Media, page 239 10 Weibo: Power, Ideology, and Social Struggles in China, page 265 11 The Sharing Economy of Airbnb, Uber, and Upwork, page 285 12 Platform Capitalism, page 309 13 Wikipedia: A New Democratic Form of Collaborative Work and Production?, page 327 III FUTURES 14 Capitalist Social Media’s Major Problems and Alternatives, page 347 15 A Manifesto for Truly Social Media, page 367 References, page 387 Index, page 413

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Researchers need copyright exceptions and liabilities--new project!
by Patricia Aufderheide 30 Mar '21

30 Mar '21

The Academic Network on the Right to Research in International Copyright is calling for research relevant to the development of global norms on copyright policy in its application to research. Text and data mining research, for example, is contributing insights to respond to urgent social problems, from combatting COVID to monitoring hate speech and disinformation on social media. Other technologies make it possible to access the materials of libraries, archives and museums from afar - an especially necessary activity during the COVID pandemic. But these and other research activities may require reproduction and sharing of copyright protected works, including across borders. There is a lack of global norms for such activities, which may contribute to uncertainty and apprehension, inhibiting research projects and collaborations. We seek to partner with researchers interested in exploring the means and ends of recognizing a “right to research” in international copyright law. Accepted proposals will be included within a 3-year project that is linking academic research to the work of a global civil society coalition working on policy reform. Through this project, researchers will receive sustained opportunities for collaboration and presentation, publication, an honorarium and possibility of coverage of some ancillary costs. More on the call and a link to the application is at http://infojustice.org/archives/43046<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://infojustice.org/archives/43046__;!!IaT_g…> We ask for submissions by May 15, 2021. Questions to me are welcome. -Sean Sean Michael Fiil-Flynn Professorial Lecturer and Director Program on Information Justice and Intellectual Property American University Washington College of Law PIJIP news and views: www.pijip.org<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.pijip.org/__;!!IaT_gp1N!j6-U6gOCQKPr…>; https://twitter.com/WCL_PIJIP<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://twitter.com/WCL_PIJIP__;!!IaT_gp1N!j6-U…> Editor in Chief, www.infojustice.org<https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.infojustice.org/__;!!IaT_gp1N!j6-U6g…> Personal Twitter https://twitter.com/Sean_Fiil_Flynn<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://twitter.com/Sean_Fiil_Flynn__;!!IaT_gp1…> Patricia Aufderheide, University Professor, School of Communication (she/her/hers) PhD Program Director Founder, Center for Media & Social Impact American University 4400 Massachusetts Av., NW American University, Washington, DC 20016-8017 McKinley Hall 323 @paufder @cmsimpact cmsimpact.org<http://cmsimpact.org> paufder(a)american.edu<mailto:paufder@american.edu> 202-885-2069 office 240-643-4805 mobile Zoom Office Hours: https://american.zoom.us/j/96788556467?pwd=eFNpa2JMWlZQRm5pT1Z0b3RVUlRXQT09 Reclaiming Fair Use--t<https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/022637419X?pf_rd_p=d1f45e03-8b73-4c9a-9be…>he second edition is out, with new stories, quizzes and entirely new chapters on the surprising success of fair use in enabling creativity!

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Free registration for Migrant Belongings: Digital Practices & the Everyday now open (21-23 april 2021)
by Leurs, K.H.A. (Koen) 30 Mar '21

30 Mar '21

Dear colleagues, Apologies for cross-posting. We're pleased to note that general registration to join our free online conference Migrant Belongings: Digital Practices & the Everyday is now open (21-23 april 2021) Click this link to register: https://migrantbelongings.sites.uu.nl/registration-form-general-audience/?f… to join our keynotes and all 170+ presentations, alongside screenings, q&a’s with media makers, roundtables and our paper award ceremony, among others The registration deadline is April 15, 2021. We are tweeting the conference under the hashtag #migrantbelongings Confirmed keynotes: • Paul Gilroy (University College London) • Engin Isin (Queen Mary, University of London) • Nicholas de Genova (University of Houston) • Larissa Hjorth (RMIT University, Melbourne) • Saskia Witteborn (Chinese University of Hong Kong) Theme description Migrant belonging through digital connectivity refers to a way of being in the world that cuts across national borders, shaping new forms of diasporic affiliations and transnational intimacy. This happens in ways that are different from the ways enabled by the communication technologies of the past. Scholarly attention has intensified around the question of how various new technical affordances of platforms and apps are shaping the transnationally connected, and locally situated, social worlds in which migrants live their everyday lives. This international conference focuses on the connection between the media and migration from different disciplinary vantage points. Connecting with friends, peers and family, sharing memories and personally identifying information, navigating spaces and reshaping the local and the global in the process is but one side of the coin of migrant-related technology use: this Janus-faced development also subjects individual as well as groups to increased datafied migration management, algorithmic control and biometric classification as well as forms of transnational authoritarianism and networked repression. This conference pays particular attention to the everyday use of digital media for the support of transnational lives, emotional bonds and cosmopolitan affiliations, focusing also on the the role digital media play in shaping local/urban and national diasporic formations. This is because it becomes increasingly important to give everyday digital media usage a central role in investigations of transnational belonging, digital intimacy, diasporic community (re)production, migrant subject formation, long-distance political participation, urban social integration and local/national self-organization. Therefore we need to examine individual and collective user practices within the wider historical and cultural contexts of media studies, cultural studies and postcolonial cultural studies scholarship, attuned to issues of politics and power, identity, geographies and the everyday. This also creates new challenges for cross-disciplinary dialogues that require an integration of ethnography with digital methods and critical data studies in order to look at the formation of identity and experience, representation, community building, and creating spaces of belongingness. See more here: https://migrantbelongings.sites.uu.nl/ Sandra Ponzanesi & Koen Leurs, conference convenors, on behalf of the conference team.

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book event "COVID-19 from the Margins" @ Berkman Center (March 30)
by Stefania Milan 29 Mar '21

29 Mar '21

Dear colleagues Tuesday the 30^th of March we will present the book "COVID-19 from the Margins. Pandemic Invisibilities, Policies and Resistance in the Datafied Society" [0] at the Berkman Klein Centre for Internet & Society, Harvard University. The session will feature three book chapter authors, namely Irene Poetranto, Diego Cerna Aragon and Shyam Krishna, alongside with the book editors Stefania Milan, Emiliano Treré and Silvia Masiero. Read more here [1]. *COVID-19 from the Margins: Pandemic Invisibilities, Datafied Policies and Resistant Solidarity* TimeMar 30, 2021 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada) The event is**free and open to all**, so please consider joining. Follow this link [1] to register! The book is open access and can be downloaded in both pdf and epub versions. We hope to see you there. Best, Stefania, Emiliano and Silvia [0] https://networkcultures.org/blog/publication/covid-19-from-the-margins-pand… [1]https://cyber.harvard.edu/events/covid-19-margins <https://cyber.harvard.edu/events/covid-19-margins> [2]https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pD2iVTmWQ6yDffkoSWzgSw <https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_pD2iVTmWQ6yDffkoSWzgSw>

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Registration conference Migrant Belongings: Digital Practices & the Everyday now open (21-23 april 2021)
by Leurs, K.H.A. (Koen) 29 Mar '21

29 Mar '21

Dear colleagues, Apologies for cross-posting. We're pleased to note that general registration to join our free online conference Migrant Belongings: Digital Practices & the Everyday is now open (21-23 april 2021) Click this link to register: https://migrantbelongings.sites.uu.nl/registration-form-general-audience/?f… to join our keynotes and all 170+ presentations, alongside screenings, q&a’s with media makers, roundtables and our paper award ceremony, among others The registration deadline is April 15, 2021. We are tweeting the conference under the hashtag #migrantbelongings Confirmed keynotes: • Paul Gilroy (University College London) • Engin Isin (Queen Mary, University of London) • Nicholas de Genova (University of Houston) • Larissa Hjorth (RMIT University, Melbourne) • Saskia Witteborn (Chinese University of Hong Kong) Theme description Migrant belonging through digital connectivity refers to a way of being in the world that cuts across national borders, shaping new forms of diasporic affiliations and transnational intimacy. This happens in ways that are different from the ways enabled by the communication technologies of the past. Scholarly attention has intensified around the question of how various new technical affordances of platforms and apps are shaping the transnationally connected, and locally situated, social worlds in which migrants live their everyday lives. This international conference focuses on the connection between the media and migration from different disciplinary vantage points. Connecting with friends, peers and family, sharing memories and personally identifying information, navigating spaces and reshaping the local and the global in the process is but one side of the coin of migrant-related technology use: this Janus-faced development also subjects individual as well as groups to increased datafied migration management, algorithmic control and biometric classification as well as forms of transnational authoritarianism and networked repression. This conference pays particular attention to the everyday use of digital media for the support of transnational lives, emotional bonds and cosmopolitan affiliations, focusing also on the the role digital media play in shaping local/urban and national diasporic formations. This is because it becomes increasingly important to give everyday digital media usage a central role in investigations of transnational belonging, digital intimacy, diasporic community (re)production, migrant subject formation, long-distance political participation, urban social integration and local/national self-organization. Therefore we need to examine individual and collective user practices within the wider historical and cultural contexts of media studies, cultural studies and postcolonial cultural studies scholarship, attuned to issues of politics and power, identity, geographies and the everyday. This also creates new challenges for cross-disciplinary dialogues that require an integration of ethnography with digital methods and critical data studies in order to look at the formation of identity and experience, representation, community building, and creating spaces of belongingness. See more here: https://migrantbelongings.sites.uu.nl/ Sandra Ponzanesi & Koen Leurs, conference convenors, on behalf of the conference team.

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[REMINDER] MGRL Lecture Series: David Parisi & Justin Grandinetti
by Adriana de Souza e Silva 29 Mar '21

29 Mar '21

*** Apologies for cross-postings*** Department of Communication Mobile Gaming Research Lab Spring ‘21 Lecture Series Please join us for the Mobile Gaming Research Lab’s Spring ‘21 Lecture Series webinar. To celebrate the release of the Retro Mobile Gaming Database (http://database.mglab.chass.ncsu.edu <http://database.mglab.chass.ncsu.edu/>/), this webinar will feature scholars whose research is at the intersection of mobile games, archives and history. The talks will explore the history of touch-based mobile game interfaces and how Pokémon Go contributes to the creation of digital memory. WHEN: April 7, 2021 | 1:30-2:30 p.m. EST Featured Presentations Instrumentalities of Touch in Mobile Game Interfaces Dr. David Parisi, Associate Professor of Communication, College of Charleston (USA) Touch-based mobile game interfaces, by opening up new sites of contact between players and games, participate in a fantastical re-imagination of touch that originated in 1950s theories of information transmission. According to this model, touch could be deployed as the standing reserve of audiovisual interfaces, an alternative pathway for transmitting messages that compensates for the overloading and overcrowding of seeing and hearing in the modern media environment. By mapping the gap between these imagined transformative uses for digital touch and touch’s comparatively mundane deployment in contemporary mobile games, this talk provides a framework for further explorations of the relationship between mobile gaming and tactility. Speaker Bio (https://communication.cofc.edu/about/faculty-staff-listing/parisi-david.php <https://communication.cofc.edu/about/faculty-staff-listing/parisi-david.php>) » Pokémon GO and Digital Memory Dr. Justin Grandinetti, Assistant Professor of Communication, University of North Carolina Charlotte (USA) Critical to the functionality of the location-aware augmented reality mobile gameplay of Pokémon GO are elements of pervasive data collection, storage, and processing. For the player, this manifests in location-aware log and journal features, but also through the new Pokéstop scanning process that allows developer Niantic to “crowdsource” AR maps. In this presentation, Dr. Grandinetti will examine the digital memory of Pokémon GO as posthuman cognitive assemblage (Hayles, 2016; Lee, 2018) and part of a lineage of a personalized relation to space. Speaker Bio (http://www.justingrandinetti.com/ <http://www.justingrandinetti.com/>)» REGISTER HERE: https://ncsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Mxndqj3NQbCTlMS9aqoFmw <https://ncsu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Mxndqj3NQbCTlMS9aqoFmw> _________________________ Adriana de Souza e Silva University Faculty Scholar Professor Department of Communication NC State University http://www.souzaesilva.com <http://www.souzaesilva.com/> _________________________ Adriana de Souza e Silva University Faculty Scholar Professor Department of Communication NC State University http://www.souzaesilva.com <http://www.souzaesilva.com/>

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WEBCAST TODAY: Accessible Banking for the Blind in the 21st Century
by Joly MacFie 29 Mar '21

29 Mar '21

The 6th webinar in Accessibility SIG's COVID and Accessibility series, funded by a Beyond The Net <https://www.internetsociety.org/beyond-the-net/> grant. ISOC Live posted: "On Friday March 26th 2021 from 1300-1430 UTC the Internet Society Accessibility Special Interest Group presents a webinar 'Accessible Banking for the Blind in the 21st Century: Experience Sharing from the Developed and Developing Countries', which will br" [image: livestream] <http://livestream.com/internetsociety/a11ysigcovid6%20>On *Friday March 26th 2021* from *1300-1430 UTC* the *Internet Society Accessibility Special Interest Group <https://a11ySIG.org/>* presents a webinar '*Accessible Banking for the Blind in the 21st Century: Experience Sharing from the Developed and Developing Countries <https://www.a11ysig.org/webinar6/>*', which will bring experts and users from around different parts of the world together to discuss the challenges that people with visual impairment/blindness face particularly with regards to the banking system. *SPEAKERS* *Judith Hellerstein*, Secretary ISOC Accessibility SIG *Majid Khan*, USA *Vashkar Bhattacharjee*, Bangladesh *Abdul Qadir*, Jordan *Abdul Busuulwa*, Uganda *Imran Shaikh*, Pakistan *Gerry Ellis*, Ireland *Anatoliy Popko*, Russia *MODERATOR* *Muhammad Shabbir Awan* (President, ISOC Accessibility SIG) *LIVESTREAM **http://livestream.com/internetsociety/a11ysigcovid6* <http://livestream.com/internetsociety/a11ysigcovid6> (Open Captions ) *PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM http://bit.ly/a11ysig6 <http://bit.ly/a11ysig6> *(Closed Captions) *REAL TIME TEXT https://www.streamtext.net/player?event=CFI-A11YSIG <https://www.streamtext.net/player?event=CFI-A11YSIG>* *TWITTER #accessibility #Covid19 <https://bit.ly/3oiWVLj> #a11y @a11ySIG @InternetSociety* *SIMULCASTS* *https://www.pscp.tv/ISOC_Live/ <https://www.pscp.tv/ISOC_Live/>* *https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive <https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive>* *ARCHIVE* *https://archive.org/details/a11ysigcovid6 <https://archive.org/details/a11ysigcovid6>* *Permalink* https://isoc.live/13884/ - -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -

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CFP: AusSTS 2021: Situated Practice — A multi-sited workshop
by Thao Phan 28 Mar '21

28 Mar '21

*Call for Applications: * *AusSTS 2021: Situated Practice — A multi-sited workshop* *24th June – 25th June 2021* *Full details:* https://scienceandsocietynetwork.deakin.edu.au/call-for-applications-aussts… <https://scienceandsocietynetwork.deakin.edu.au/call-for-applications-aussts…> “Knowledge is embedded in projects; knowledge is always *for*, in many sense, some things and not others, and knowers are always formed by their projects, just as they shape what they can know” Donna Haraway, *Morphing in the Order* As STS researchers, we are taught to see science as a situated practice — something that is tied to knowledge and power, radically historically specific, and irreducibly social and political. We understand that science, like all practices, is contingent on the social and material forces that circumscribe possibility and action. Yet, at times, we struggle to articulate how our research practice too is a situated practice. We know that research is unruly. No matter how much we propose and plan, no matter what timelines and techniques we use to discipline ourselves into writing, the social and material forces (otherwise known as life) have a unique way of acting back. For many, 2020 and now 2021 have been a humbling experience into what it means to continue our practices in situations we had not expected. While some of us had planned to situate ourselves elsewhere — conducting fieldwork, attending conferences, etc — others have found that once familiar situations are now vastly different. While the pandemic may have introduced a set of limitations for organising large gatherings (like a national workshop), it also offers us a unique chance to reflect on how our practices are shaped by the places we find ourselves in. This pause also offers us an opportunity to explore the concrete possibilities for the future of sustainable conferencing <https://culanth.org/fieldsights/reimagining-the-annual-meeting-for-an-era-o…> . The AusSTS interdisciplinary workshop is an annual, multi-day, multi-disciplinary event that brings together STS researchers from across Australasia. This year’s workshop will be hosted as a multi-sited event, with shared online keynotes and local (read: “situated”) meetup events. The workshops are designed for postgraduate students and ECR researchers interested in STS, and will include a variety of activities including keynote events, short presentations from HDRs and ECRs, field trips, and more. *Confirmed Keynote Speakers* Keynote Lecture: Professor Michelle Murphy, University of Toronto <https://wgsi.utoronto.ca/person/michelle-murphy/> Keynote Conversation Event: Professor Kane Race, University of Sydney <https://www.sydney.edu.au/arts/about/our-people/academic-staff/kane-race.ht…> with Associate Professor Anne Galloway, Victoria University of Wellington <https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/anne.galloway> *Structure, cost, and accessibility* This year’s workshop is a multi-sited, face-to-face event that will take place across four locations. Registration costs will vary depending on the events planned at each location: - Melbourne - Sydney - Darwin* - Wellington We ask participants to apply to attend *one* of these face-to-face locations. All sites will take part in shared online keynote presentations on Day 1 and 2. Each site will then host their own set of activities ranging from short presentations, workshops, and field trips. Some sites will have limited numbers based on the activities planned, so do not delay your application. We endeavour to make all face-to-face venues accessible for our participants. Please do not hesitate to get in contact if you have any questions regarding accessibility requirements or have specific venue accessibility requests. All keynote events will be free and live streamed on YouTube Live for those who are unable to attend the workshop in-person. **Please note that Darwin will not be hosting short presentations but will instead organise alternate activities for participants* *Submission guidelines:* This workshop departs from the traditional symposia format of long papers and short discussion. Participants can expect to present a short paper consisting of a question, problem or provocation and take part in panel discussions and cross-disciplinary dialogues. We invite postgraduate and early career researchers (ECRs) from all disciplines and areas of expertise to apply: life, environmental and materials science, social sciences and humanities, artists, social activists, and other practitioners. To apply, you will need to submit a proposal for a *5-minute presentation* at the workshop on any topic that relates to the theme of ‘situated practice’. Proposals must include a title, 250 word abstract, 5 keywords, and a short presenter bio. To submit a proposal complete the online application form <https://forms.gle/AWgrujYdeVDwQtW69>. The deadline for proposals is *Friday, April 30th*. For questions or enquiries please contact Thao Phan at thao.phan1(a)deakin.edu.au You can also find us on Twitter at @AusSTSgrad using the hashtag #AusSTS2021 *Overview of activities for each location:* *Sydney* *Organising committee: Kari Lancaster, Sophie Adams, Mia Harrison, Matthew Kearnes* The Sydney AusSTS event will be split over two days, each beginning at the UNSW Kensington campus. Day 1 will include the opening keynote, short presentations from HDRs and ECRs, a special object-based learning event at the Chau Chak Wing Museum <https://www.sydney.edu.au/museum/about-us.html> at the University of Sydney, and a social event in the evening. Day 2 will include the conversation keynote, short presentations, and opportunities for networking and engagement. Further details will be announced closer to the date. Estimated cost to attend is $30 – $40. *Melbourne* *Organising committee: Thao Phan, Emma Kowal, Timothy Neale* The Melbourne AusSTS event will be split over two days. Day 1 will be hosted at CERES Community Environment Park <https://ceres.org.au/> and will include the opening keynote event, short presentations from HDRs and ECRs, and an evening social event. Day 2 will include the conversation keynote and a field trip to the Werribee Western Treatment Plant (TBC). More details will be announced closer to the date. Estimated cost to attend is $50 – $80 and will include field trip transport on day 2. *Darwin* *Organising committee: Matt Barlow, Cathy Bow, Kelly Lee Hickey, Kirsty Howey, Jen Macdonald, Michaela Spencer* The Darwin AusSTS event will take place as three public events, spread from Thursday- Saturday: a walkshop tracing a series of encounters along Gurambai/Rapid Creek; a film night on the Darwin foreshore with the Gapuwiyak-based Arts collective Miyarrka Media <https://miyarrkamedia.com/>; and a food sharing workshop exploring reciprocities and connections within the Gurambai catchment. Registration for events will be through their own eventbrite page, and costs are expected to range from FREE to $15. *Wellington * *Organising committee: Courtney Addison, Max Soar* The Wellington AusSTS event will take place over two days in the central city and surrounds. Day 1 will include the opening keynote and short presentations from HDRs and ECRs, followed by an evening social event. The second day will include the conversation keynote event and a field trip (to be confirmed) exploring the conference theme of situated practice. We will endeavour to keep costs to a minimum, but please expect a small registration fee (less than $40) so we can ensure everyone is well fed.

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Critical Disinformation Studies Syllabus
by Alice E. Marwick 28 Mar '21

28 Mar '21

Hi all, Today I’m excited to announce the Critical Disinformation Studies syllabus, a collective effort to make disinformation research more contextual, historical, and power-oriented. The syllabus is hosted at https://citap.unc.edu/research/critical-disinfo/ The goal of the syllabus is to push back on narratives of disinformation that begin with the 2016 US presidential election and focus on the role of social media platforms in spreading and generating false content. At their worst, these narratives imply that in the past, everyone shared the same sense of what was true and what was false; that this collective understanding was reinforced by legacy media like newspapers and TV news; and that “fake news,” disinformation, and inauthentic online behavior are responsible for a global far-right shift to populism exemplified by Brexit and the Trump presidency. None of these assumptions hold up to scrutiny. At CITAP, we take a critical approach to research on platforms, politics, and information which incorporates history, inequality, power, and culture. To demonstrate how these principles play out in practice, we created a Critical Disinformation Studies syllabus as a provocation to disinformation researchers to rethink many of the assumptions of our nascent field. While the syllabus is fully-functional as is—it could be implemented in its current form for a graduate level seminar—it is also an essay in syllabus form. We draw from a very broad range of scholarship, much which falls outside of conventional studies of “disinformation,” to expand our understanding of what “counts” as disinformation. The syllabus also draws from historical case studies - Japanese incarceration, the Welfare Queen, the Central Park 5, Black liberation, AIDS/HIV - to examine how the state, the media, and the political establishment regularly use disinformation to reinforce inequality. My co-authors on this project are Rachel Kuo, Shanice Cameron, and Moira Weigel. The syllabus is supported by CITAP. And our thanks go out to the many scholars whose work inspired us to bring this project to life. Warmly Alice Alice E. Marwick, PhD (she/her) Associate Professor, Department of Communication Principal Researcher, Center for Information, Technology and Public Life (CITAP) University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill amarwick(a)gmail.com http://www.tiara.org http://citap.unc.edu

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