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CfP: rethinking participatory culture in light of lessons learned from the pandemic
by Katrin Tiidenberg 27 Jan '21

27 Jan '21

Dear AoIR community, Baltic Screen Media Review, a journal edited and published by my home institution (Tallinn University, Baltic Film, Media and Arts School) is doing a special issue on participatory practices and culture in the context of pandemic, which I am co-editing. I am sharing a CfP in hopes there will be scholars here interested in submitting an abstract. best Kat Tiidenberg Call For Papers: Baltic Screen Media Review - Participation in transition: Rethinking participatory culture The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed physical interaction among people, but it also continues to shape our relations with media and technology. Mediated and distant interaction and communication became the norm. This led to struggles for some individuals, groups, institutions, practices and services, while others blossomed and thrived. Is participatory culture, as we know it, changing as a result of the challenges of 2020? Building on the 2020 volume of Baltic Screen Media Review, which explored the changes that the COVID-19 pandemic brought to media industries, we now call for papers on participation in the context of the pandemic and related crises. While the pandemic has posed an incredible challenge in terms of media production, it has concurrently pushed innovation, resulting in a reinvigorated relationship between media and the audiences. Media was the window to the world for locked-down people, and via media and communication technologies people were informed, entertained and able to interact with one another. Yet, the incredible volume of data created from people’s media participation has enhanced rather than diminished the disproportionate power of already powerful platforms and corporations held over access, participation, public speech and cultural discourse. This has been a fertile ground for new participatory practices to emerge. We as scholars of participatory culture thus need to renew our focus on not only the empirical expressions of participation, but also on how we make sense of participation and how we conceptualize the effects of macro scale changes on it. Therefore, we call for submissions that explore the concept of participation, its present state and its future from both political and sociological perspectives. In this volume of BSMR, we will accept long (4000 – 8000 words w/o ref) and short (2000 – 2500 words w/o ref) articles and commentaries. These articles should reflect on and explore a range of issues concerning participatory culture. We invite articles focusing on the Baltic Sea region (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Russia, Poland, Germany, Finland, etc.), but analyses of similar issues elsewhere, especially in countries of similar size and circumstances, are also welcome. Contributions addressing topics such as (but not limited to) the following are particularly welcome: Participatory culture in transition The future of participation Interactive and participatory practices Emergence of new forms of audience engagement Crisis-specific participation and crisis participatory culture Digitalisation and the power of platforms Local vs global, local practices, local alternatives to platforms, local information bubbles The digital public sphere Collective identity and digital engagement Key dates: 15.03.2021 - Submit abstracts of 200–300 words. 01.04.2021 – Communication of acceptance of abstracts 14.06.2021 – Submit full manuscripts that will be sent for blind peer review. This issue of BSMR will appear as Volume 9:2, published both online and in print in late 2021. BSMR embraces visual storytelling, we thus invite authors to use photos and other illustrations as part of their contributions. All submissions should be sent via email attachment to Katrin Tiidenberg (katrin.tiidenberg(a)tlu.ee <mailto:ibrus@tlu.ee>) and Alessandro Nanì (nani(a)tlu.ee <mailto:nani@tlu.ee>). Note: BSMR does not charge any author fees Further info about the journal can be found at https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/bsmr/bsmr-overview.xml?language=e… <https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/bsmr/bsmr-overview.xml?language=e…> Katrin Tiidenberg Osaluskultuuri professor / Professor of Participatory Culture BFM, Tallinn University <https://www.tlu.ee/en/bfm> Recently published: Tiidenberg, K., Gammelby, A.K., Olsen, L.M. (2020). Agential hysterias: A practice approach to embodiment on social media. In: Warfield, Katie; Abidin, Cystal; Cambre, Carolina (Ed.). Mediated Interfaces: The Body on Social Media (229−247). Bloomsbury Academic. Books: Kuidas mõista andmestunud maailma?Metodoloogiline teejuht (2021) <https://www.tlu.ee/pood/home/325-kuidas-moista-andmestunud-maailma-metodolo…> Metaphors of the Internet <https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/72208> (2020) Sex and Social Media <https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/detail/Sex-and-Social-Media/?k=978183…> (2020) Selfies, why we love (and hate) them <https://www.amazon.com/Selfies-Love-Hate-Them-SocietyNow/dp/1787437175> (2018) Ihu ja hingega internetis <https://www.tlu.ee/pood/home/242-ihu-ja-hingega-internetis-kuidas-moista-so…> (2017) Executive Boards: Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) <https://aoir.org/>, Secretary Estonian Young Academy of Sciences / Eesti Noorte Teaduste Akadeemia <https://www.akadeemia.ee/enta/>, Communication Manager More info: personal website <https://kkatot.tumblr.com/> Estonian Research Information system profile <https://www.etis.ee/CV/Katrin_Tiidenberg/est?lang=ENG>

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Fast Capitalism CFP
by Arditi, David M 27 Jan '21

27 Jan '21

Colleagues, With all of the craziness from insurrections to COVID, Fast Capitalism's mission<https://fastcapitalism.journal.library.uta.edu/index.php/fastcapitalism/abo…> to publish critical work on how digital networks impact current moment is as important as ever. Whether you're working on a paper discussing rising authoritarianism on platforms like Parler, media disinformation, virtual schooling, or something else, feel free to send your work. Attached is our general open call. Please circulate to your networks and let me know if you have any ideas. Best, David Dr. David Arditi Associate Professor of Sociology Director of the Center for Theory University of Texas at Arlington Author of Getting Signed: Record Contracts, Musicians and Power in Society<https://www.palgrave.com/us/book/9783030445867>

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Internet fatigue, digital gardening, DIY digital expression
by Emma Stamm 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

Hi all, I am working on a report about the related phenomena of internet burnout and "digital gardening <https://www.technologyreview.com/2020/09/03/1007716/digital-gardens-let-you…>." This report discusses web users' desire for greater control over the display of social media content -- e.g. the design affordances of Tumblr as opposed to Facebook -- as it connects to digital fatigue / boredom with mainstream platforms. I'm hoping to interview one or two researchers working on these topics. Note that this is not for an academic publication, but your name and bio will be included along with links to relevant publications. Please let me know if you're interested. Thank you in advance. Best, Emma -- *Emma Stamm, Ph.D.* *Instructor, Dept. of History, Virginia Tech* *Instructor, Dept. of Media, Culture, and Communication, NYU* *www.o-culus.com <http://www.o-culus.com/> *

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Enabling the future of academic research with the Twitter API
by Richard Forno 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

FYI ... Enabling the future of academic research with the Twitter API When we introduced the next generation of the Twitter API in July 2020, we also shared our plans to invest in the success of the academic research community with tailored solutions that better serve their goals. Today, we’re excited to launch the Academic Research product track on the new Twitter API. < - > https://blog.twitter.com/developer/en_us/topics/tips/2021/enabling-the-futu…

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Short survey on use of common energy sources during climate change (6-8 minutes, 3 cash prizes from $60-$180)
by Jonas Miosga 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

Dear colleagues, in my master thesis I study consumption of limited resources and its implications for the currently ongoing climate change. I would be very happy if you can support me by taking part in the study which consists of two short games. You can win cash prizes (1x $180 and 2x $60) which will be paid out by mid of February 2021. Click the following link to get started: https://bit.ly/3iz0qeH Thank you very much, I really appreciate your time! Kind regards, Jonas Miosga, master student at University of Konstanz, Germany

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New publication on Environmental Virtual Reality
by Urooj Raja 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

Dear colleagues, I’m pleased to share this new publication, online first in *Environmental Communication. *A Qualitative Exploration of Individual Experiences of Environmental Virtual Reality Through the Lens of Psychological Distance. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17524032.2020.1871052 ABSTRACT How to increase public engagement in environmental issues is a central question in environmental communication and environmental psychology literatures. Psychological distance (PD) is one potential barrier to public engagement. PD describes the perceptual distance between a person’s experience and an external target. Immersive technologies such as virtual reality (VR) have the potential to shrink PD. Yet, we know little about how people perceive and react to an environmental VR experience or about the role that PD plays in these reactions. To address this gap, we use interviews and focus groups to examine how people react to a VR experience about ocean acidification. We find that PD is prevalent in the reactions of VR users, especially first-time users, and that 62% of participants described feeling psychologically close to ocean acidification. Best, Urooj S. Raja PhD. Candidate NSF GRFP Fellow Environmental Studies University of Colorado at Boulder https://twitter.com/uroojra

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Article about Covid-19 early warnings on Twitter
by Monica Marra 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

For those interested in the relationship between the Covid-19 pandemic and social networks, may I point out this new paper based upon Twitter and published on "Scientific Reports" yesterday: Early warnings of COVID-19 outbreaks across Europe from social media, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81333-1 Abstract: "We analyze data from Twitter to uncover early-warning signals of COVID-19 outbreaks in Europe in the winter season 2019–2020, before the first public announcements of local sources of infection were made. We show evidence that unexpected levels of concerns about cases of pneumonia were raised across a number of European countries. Whistleblowing came primarily from the geographical regions that eventually turned out to be the key breeding grounds for infections. These findings point to the urgency of setting up an integrated digital surveillance system in which social media can help geo-localize chains of contagion that would otherwise proliferate almost completely undetected." Regards, MM -- Monica Marra INAF - Istituto Nazionale di Astrofisica Osservatorio di Astrofisica e Scienza dello Spazio v. Gobetti 93/3 I-40129 Bologna, Italy uff. 3W1 Scopus author ID: 7102382905 https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Monica_Marra

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New campaign targeting security researchers
by Richard Forno 26 Jan '21

26 Jan '21

FYI. --rick --- Dr. Richard Forno Senior Lecturer, CSEE Director, Graduate Cybersecurity Program Assistant Director, UMBC Center for Cybersecurity New campaign targeting security researchers Over the past several months, the Threat Analysis Group has identified an ongoing campaign targeting security researchers working on vulnerability research and development at different companies and organizations. The actors behind this campaign, which we attribute to a government-backed entity based in North Korea, have employed a number of means to target researchers which we will outline below. We hope this post will remind those in the security research community that they are targets to government-backed attackers and should remain vigilant when engaging with individuals they have not previously interacted with. In order to build credibility and connect with security researchers, the actors established a research blog and multiple Twitter profiles to interact with potential targets. They've used these Twitter profiles for posting links to their blog, posting videos of their claimed exploits and for amplifying and retweeting posts from other accounts that they control. < - > https://blog.google/threat-analysis-group/new-campaign-targeting-security-r…

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Postdoc fellowships: Stanford Digital Civil Society Lab.
by Toussaint Nothias 25 Jan '21

25 Jan '21

Dear colleagues, We are currently accepting applications for our post-doctoral fellowship in the Digital Civil Society Lab<https://pacscenter.stanford.edu/research/digital-civil-society-lab/> at Stanford University. Applications are due on 2/15. We welcome a wide range of disciplinary approaches and research interests. Some of the key research themes we are currently investigating include: * The key dimensions of digital infrastructure and data and how they influence the role of civil society around the world.  * The challenges and opportunities for assembly and association in a world of pervasive data-collecting, digital infrastructure. * The possibilities for decolonizing technology and developing alternative political economies around digital connectivity. * The nature of digital data donations and/or the governance mechanisms, enterprise forms, or legal constructs that such donations require. More information about our Lab, the fellowship and the application process are available here: https://pacscenter.stanford.edu/research/digital-civil-society-lab/dcsl-pos… Applications can be submitted here: https://stanfordpacs.slideroom.com/#/permalink/program/58859 Prospective applicants with any questions about the fellowship and/or the application process, should feel free to contact me directly. Toussaint ---- Toussaint Nothias Associate Director of Research, Digital Civil Society Lab.<https://pacscenter.stanford.edu/research/digital-civil-society-lab/> Social Science Research Scholar, Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society (PACS)<https://pacscenter.stanford.edu/>. Stanford University www.toussaintnothias.com<http://www.toussaintnothias.com> Join our new initiative: The Digital Assembly Research Network<https://pacscenter.stanford.edu/research/digital-civil-society-lab/digital-…> (DARN), a global community of research and practice addressing the ways digital systems influence our ability and right to assemble. Latest article: "Access Granted: Facebook's Free Basics in Africa"<https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0163443719890530> (Media, Culture & Society).

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Call for Reviews: Information & Culture
by James A Hodges 25 Jan '21

25 Jan '21

Greetings, and please accept my apologies for cross-posting with a few other lists. I’m James Hodges, and I am in the process of assuming the position of Senior Book Reviews Editor for Information & Culture journal ( https://infoculturejournal.org/) I will be taking the helm from our current editor later this spring, and I’m writing today to solicit pitches for our upcoming issues. I’m especially interested in bringing a more global and multicultural range of subject matter to our review pages. This means that while our general focus on the social and cultural influence of information remains unchanged, I am eager to seek out books and reviewers with origins and expertise in areas beyond the Anglosphere and Global North. Do you have a book coming out that fits with the editorial mission of Information & Culture? Is there a new or upcoming book that you would like to review? If so, please contact reviews(a)ischool.utexas.edu to let us know! We are also currently seeking reviewers for the following titles: A History of Data Visualization and Graphic Communication Michael Friendly, Howard Wainer; June 2021 https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674975231 Burning the Books: A History of the Deliberate Destruction of Knowledge Richard Ovenden; November 2020 https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674241206 Please get in touch via reviews(a)ischool.utexas.edu if you are interested in reviewing these or other titles. More information: Information & Culture is an academic journal printed three times a year by the University of Texas Press. It publishes original, high-quality, peer reviewed articles examining the social and cultural influences and impact of information and its associated technologies, broadly construed, on all areas of human endeavor. In keeping with the spirit of information studies, we seek papers emphasizing a human-centered focus that address the role of and reciprocal relationship of information and culture, regardless of time and place. The journal welcomes submissions from an array of relevant theoretical and methodological approaches, including but not limited to historical, sociological, psychological, political and educational research that address the interaction of information and culture. I look forward to collaborating with members of this community! Sincerely, James -- *JAMES A. HODGES* Bullard Postdoctoral Research Fellow University of Texas at Austin School of Information

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