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News and events for social researchers
by Janet Salmons 15 Sep '25

15 Sep '25

Thinking about your social sciences career? In transition, voluntarily or not? It is a tough time for scholars and academics, whether you are a new grad, someone whose position and/or funding was terminated, or someone who wants to leave academia. Don't despair! Dr. Eleanor Pritchard and I are offering a free webinar, a mini-course, and a bi-weekly newsletter with practical tips. Get started! Free webinar 10/7/25 2 pm UTC/10 am EDT Register: https://tinyurl.com/2dtd8d83 Plan and Progress in Community 5 week mini-course, starting 10/21/25 Small group with 3 synchronous sessions (recorded), plus discussion and resources. Register: https://tinyurl.com/53m7pahv Subscribe to our newsletter: https://reimagineresearch.substack.com Hope to see you and I welcome questions off-list. Janet Janet Salmons, PhD (She/her/hers) www.salmons.blog Free-Range Scholar and Creative Boulder, Colorado USA janet(a)salmons.blog<mailto:jsalmons@vision2lead.com>

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Webinar: Democracy in the Digital Age: Foundations of Digital Democracy Analysis
by Christian Fuchs 15 Sep '25

15 Sep '25

Webinar on Democracy in the Digital Age: Foundations of Digital Democracy Analysis Organised by the Horizon Europe Project INNOVADE Tuesday, October 21, 15:00 CET In this webinar, the EU research project INNOVADE: INNOVAtive DEmocracy through digitalisation presents its research report on the foundations of digital democracy. The report deals with the question of what democracy and digital democracy are and how we should best understand its various aspects and dimensions. Programme Introduction by Trust-IT Input talks: What is Digital Democracy? Christian Fuchs (Paderborn University, Germany) How can Open Governance Work in Practice? Laurien Coenen (KU Leuven, Belgium) What Global Trends Shape the Future of Digital Democracy? Fatih Yilmaz (Beyond the Horizon, Belgium) Discussion Registration: https://innovade-democracy.eu/events/shielding-democracy

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Job: Assistant Professor of Video Game Studies at University of Rhode Island
by Leah Heilig 15 Sep '25

15 Sep '25

Hello all, My colleagues in Communication Studies at the University of Rhode Island are hiring for an Assistant Professor of Communication Studies with an emphasis/specialty in Digital/Video Game Studies. Please refer to the ad below for more information. I'm serving on the search committee and happy to field any questions or forward them to our search committee chair, Molly Yanity (molly.yanity(a)uri.edu) Thank you! *To Apply: *https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/15677 *Assistant Professor of Communication Studies (Video Game Studies)* *Job Description Summary, Duties and Responsibilities, Required Qualifications and Preferred Qualifications* The search will remain open until the position has been filled. First consideration will be given to applications received by* November 3, 2025.* Applications received after November 3, 2025 may be reviewed depending on search progress and needs but are not guaranteed full consideration. The Department of Communication Studies at the University of Rhode Island invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor specializing in video/digital game and communication studies. The appointment will begin in August 2026. We seek a dedicated scholar and colleague to join our vibrant faculty in scenic New England. The assistant professor position is centered on video/digital game studies and communication, and it aligns with existing communication courses (e.g., media theory, media advertising, entertainment media research, rhetorical criticism, organizational theory, research methods). Successful candidates should be well versed in theories and concepts connected to game studies and immersive, interactive media, and be able to teach and connect across general media theory and practice. Areas of research and teaching interest within the communication and gaming context may include digital game storytelling, platform studies, science and technology studies, qualitative research in gamers and game companies, emerging media Industries, Esports, Human-Machine Communication, Human-Computer Interaction, and representation (race, class, gender, sexuality, ability). The successful candidate will contribute to emerging areas of emphasis at URI in gaming, design, and computing. Opportunities also exist for collaborations with colleagues in Computer Science, Art, Economics, and Data Science, as well as a new 3D Animation and Gaming Working Group. The faculty share a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, as well as to providing a safe space for constructive conversation and increasing diverse voices in the classroom. Thus, we encourage applicants who can reflect that commitment to apply. *Duties and Responsibilities:* - Develop and deliver new courses in communication studies at the undergraduate level and possibly at the graduate level. - Teach and enhance existing or new course offerings, advise students, develop a scholarly or creative agenda, and perform service at the department/program, school, college and/or university level(s) as appropriate. - Establish and maintain a research program within the field and pursue funding as appropriate. - Advise undergraduate students on course selection, academic progress and career planning. - Develop curriculum as needed to help shape the major and keep it at the cutting edge of the industry. - Contribute to the institution’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. - Perform service duties to the department, university and profession. *REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:* 1. Ph.D. (or similar terminal research degree) in communication studies or a related field with a demonstrated area of specialization in video/digital game studies and communication. ABD candidates will be considered; if hired, the degree must be completed no later than September 1, 2026. 2. Ability to develop and deliver courses at the undergraduate level in video/digital game studies and communication, as well as general media theory and practice. 3. Ability to develop a scholarly or creative agenda in an area related to video/digital game studies and communication. 4. Proficiency in oral communication. 5. Proficiency in written communication. 6. Proficiency in electronic media. 7. Knowledge of digital media as it relates to video games and gaming. 8. Ability to work with diverse groups/populations. *PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:* 1. Professional experience in video/digital game development, marketing, criticism, or related field. 2. Evidence of seeking and/or securing funding for research or creative work. 3. Experience teaching video/digital game studies and communication at the undergraduate and/or graduate level. 4. Experience teaching courses in organizational communication, interpersonal communication, rhetoric, research methods, and/or strategic communication. *ABOUT THE HARRINGTON SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA AT URI* Administratively housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, URI’s largest college and home to the university’s Phi Beta Kappa chapter, the Harrington School of Communication and Media aims to grow students into creative communicators who become engaged citizens and leaders in the communities they serve. Alumni thrive in media industries, digital journalism, sports enterprise, public and community relations, corporate communication, human resources, and education. The Harrington School offers programs in Communication Studies, Film/Media, Journalism, Library and Information Studies, Public Relations, Sports Media and Communication, and Professional and Public Writing. *ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND* Located in the rural village of Kingston in southern Rhode Island, the University of Rhode Island occupies the traditional stomping ground of the Narragansett Nation and the Niantic people. The Kingston campus features a traditional college quadrangle designed by the firm of Olmstead and Elliot, surrounded by a ring of colorful Zelkova trees, majestic granite buildings, and numerous walkways and greenspace. Situated in spectacular South County along Narragansett Bay to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, URI is ideally located for outdoor pursuits and cultural endeavors alike. The region boasts extensive wooded hiking trails, golf and sports clubs, and more than 100 miles of coastline, including 20 pristine public beaches. Historic Newport is just 23 minutes east by car or bus, while Rhode Island’s capital city of Providence, a hotbed of innovative cuisine, contemporary art, and professional theater, is a 30-minute drive northward. Amtrak service right in Kingston serves cities along the Northeast Corridor, including Boston an hour north and New York three hours south; the award-winning T.F. Green Airport is a 25-minute drive away, connecting Rhode Island to metropolitan areas around the country. The University of Rhode Island is an equal-opportunity employer. It is the policy of the University of Rhode Island to provide reasonable accommodation when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with a disability. -- Dr. Leah Heilig (she/her) Zoom Link: https://uri-edu.zoom.us/j/2891477568 Assistant Professor Department of Professional and Public Writing Harrington School of Communication and Media University of Rhode Island

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Groypers, Fuentes, and America First
by stustu12＠student.ubc.ca 15 Sep '25

15 Sep '25

Groypers, Fuentes, and America First These are three of 12 short data documentaries from a series about the so-called "America First" movement on Twitter made a few years ago. Since the Groyper-in-Chief Nick Fuentes now claims his group is being framed for the Kirk murder, it seemed like a good time to surface these data. The underlying data is available for replication studies. It is quite troubling to see public figures and administration officials vowing revenge and retribution against "Antifa" (or anyone using the word fascist in a U.S. context) when it appears the most likely explanation is that this was an unhinged far-right ideologue assassinating Mr. Kirk for not being fascist enough...lately. The Groypers v. Kirk saga began in 2019. I asked a variety of people at APSA, occurring this week in Vancouver, whether they knew about the Groyper movement. Almost nobody did. The APSA theme this year is: "Reimagining Politics, Power, and Peoplehood in Crisis Times." Little fringe movements agitating for racist violence should be documented and understood. History speaks to this. Groypers https://vimeo.com/1118493710 Fuentes https://vimeo.com/1118493637 America First https://vimeo.com/1118493816 [https://i.vimeocdn.com/video/2058717421-5f2983d1d644c02d8b73e3cb3517fe0d3a2…]<https://vimeo.com/1118493816> Recent America First Identity Claims on Twitter<https://vimeo.com/1118493816> This is "Recent America First Identity Claims on Twitter" by Stuart Shulman on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them. vimeo.com -- Stu Shulman MLIS Student University of British Columbia https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stuart-Shulman

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Comic Book, Other Tech Worlds Are Possible, with Homeless Workers' Movement in Brazil
by Rafael Do Nascimento Grohmann 14 Sep '25

14 Sep '25

Hi AoIR, We are happy to announce the launch of the first comic book of the project Other Tech Worlds Are Possible, in partnership with the Tech Sector of the Homeless Workers’ Movement in Brazil (MTST). It is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. English: https://digilabour.com.br/comic-book-other-tech-worlds-are-possible-with-ho… Spanish: https://digilabour.com.br/lanzamiento-de-la-historieta-otros-mundos-tecnolo… Portuguese: https://digilabour.com.br/pt/lancamento-da-hq-outros-mundos-tecnologicos-sa… https://www.nucleodetecnologia.com.br/hq <https://www.nucleodetecnologia.com.br/hq> Description of the Comic Follow Carolina’s journey, a resident of a housing occupation in Brazil, and discover how technology transforms her life. In this first volume of the series Other Tech Worlds Are Possible, you will learn about the work of the Tech Sector of the Homeless Workers’ Movement, which develops technologies grounded in local communities, in critical, creative, and empowering ways. About the Project Other Tech Worlds Are Possible uses artistic comic-book storytelling to share the experiences of worker collectives across Latin America who broaden the meaning of technology while fighting for social justice. These stories highlight the power of political, social, technological, and artistic imagination to create alternative narratives about technology that go beyond Silicon Valley’s ideology. The project is funded by the University of Toronto through the UTSC Departmental Research Fund (Department of Arts, Culture and Media) and by a SSHRC Insight Development Grant, as part of the Worker-Owned Intersectional Platforms (WOIP)<https://digilabour.com.br/report-launch-worker-owned-platforms-and-intersec…> <https://digilabour.com.br/report-launch-worker-owned-platforms-and-intersec…> project. The second volume will highlight the work of the Argentine Federation of Technology Cooperatives (FACTTIC) and will be published at the end of the year. The project features a script by Natália Sierpinski, illustrations by Germana Viana, and is produced under the direction of Rafael Grohmann. best, Rafael -- dr. Rafael Grohmann Assistant Professor of Media Studies Department of Arts, Culture and Media<https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/acm/rafael-grohmann> Faculty of Information<https://ischool.utoronto.ca/profile/rafael-grohmann/> University of Toronto Leader, DigiLabour<https://digilabour.com.br/> Research Associate, University of Oxford<https://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/profiles/rafael-grohmann/> Founding Editor, Platforms & Society<https://journals.sagepub.com/home/PNS> Principal Investigator, Worker-Owned Intersectional Platforms (WOIP)<https://digilabour.com.br/worker-owned-intersectional-platforms-woip/> Co-Lead, Creative Labour and Critical Futures (CLCF)<https://criticaldigitalmethods.ca/creative-labour-critical-futures/> Researcher, AI Policy Observatory for the World of Work<https://www.essex.ac.uk/research-projects/ai-policy-observatory-for-the-wor…> Faculty Affiliate, Schwartz Reisman Institute for Technology and Society<https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/> <https://srinstitute.utoronto.ca/>

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Call for Abstracts: Open Research Infrastructures and Resources for Communication and Media Studies
by Christian Strippel 13 Sep '25

13 Sep '25

Last chance to submit your abstract! (Deadline: 15 Sept 2025) Special Issue @ Media and Communication "Open Research Infrastructures and Resources for Communication and Media Studies" https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/issue/futureissues#i504 Academic Editor(s): Silke Fürst (University of Zurich), Johannes Breuer (GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences), Erik Koenen (University of Bremen), Dimitri Prandner (Johannes Kepler University of Linz), Christian Schwarzenegger (University of Bremen), and Christian Strippel (Weizenbaum Institute) Submission of Abstracts: 1-15 September 2025 Submission of Full Papers: 15-31 January 2026 Publication of the Issue: July/December 2026 Many scholars and initiatives in communication and media research have called for a "cultural shift" in our discipline toward more open, reproducible, and replicable research practices and better access to infrastructures and shared research resources. However, when we look at the main forums in our field, we still see a lack of opportunities to share information on and experiences with such infrastructures and resources. Typically, this information is limited to brief references in articles, documentation scattered across the web, and informal exchanges among colleagues. A growing, but still limited number of journals have started to provide dedicated space for in-depth presentations or discussions of tools, datasets, or other resources. This thematic issue aims to contribute to these efforts by providing a forum for debate and exchange on open research infrastructures for communication and media research, with a focus on non-commercial resources following open science principles. Hence, we particularly welcome submissions which: Present, compare, or evaluate datasets, databases, and archives that provide research material and instruments for data analysis or data collection in the field of communication and media research; Present, compare, or evaluate research software, models (e.g., classifiers), training data, dictionaries, or other resources, taking into account the specific requirements in the field of communication and media research; Assess the extent to which open research infrastructures and resources are created and (re)used in communication and media research, discuss the factors that enable or constrain their adoption, and provide suggestions for ways forward; Discuss the implications of creating, maintaining, and using reusable research data, archives, and tools for both quantitative and qualitative research practices in communication and media studies with regard to research inequalities between the Global North and the Global South or the English language hegemony. -- Weizenbaum Institute, Berlin (Germany) Group Lead "Weizenbaum Panel" and "MethodsLab" https://www.weizenbaum-institut.de/en/portrait/p/christian-strippel/ https://panel.weizenbaum-institut.de/en/ https://methodslab.weizenbaum-institut.de/ Recent Publications: – Ethics of Data Work: Principles for Academic Data Work Requesters <https://www.weizenbaum-institut.de/media/Publikationen/Weizenbaum_Discussio…> – Weizenbaum Report 2025: Political Participation in Germany <https://doi.org/10.34669/wi.wr/6.1> – Data, archives, and tools: Introducing new publication formats on infrastructures and resources <https://doi.org/10.1007/s11616-023-00806-7> – “The Boundaries are Blurry…”: How Comment Moderators in Germany See and Respond to Hate Comments <https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1461670X.2021.2017793> – From Insult to Hate Speech: Mapping Offensive Language in German User Comments on Immigration <https://www.cogitatiopress.com/mediaandcommunication/article/view/3399>

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Petition against ICA Exec Comm vis-a-vis Gaza
by Saif Shahin 13 Sep '25

13 Sep '25

Dear friends, The Executive Committee of the International Communication Association, perhaps the largest organization of communication scholars, recently dismissed a proposal by an Arab scholar for a forthright statement against the genocide in Gaza and the killing of Palestinian journalists by Israel. Some colleagues have put together a petition condemning the undemocratic manner in which the ICA EC acted, which we believe undermines its own policies and principles. We are inviting scholars and educators, especially from the fields of communication, media, and journalism studies, to join our petition. Please read it if you have a few minutes to understand what happened and sign on if you agree with our stance. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYztVWAovpQ6-vegiWspdjoY9p6f9_xgO… Yours sincerely, Saif Shahin _____ *Saif Shahin, Ph.D.* Assistant Professor <https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/staff/s-s-shahin> of Digital Culture MA Thesis Co-ordinator, Dept. of Culture Studies Director, Digital South Research Lab <https://www.tilburguniversity.edu/research/humanities/digital-south-lab> Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences Tilburg University, Netherlands Associate Editor <https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/witp20/about-this-journal#editorial-bo…> Journal of Information Technology & Politics Google Scholar <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=pzy87iEAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao> | ResearchGate <https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Saif-Shahin>

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A child rights audit of GenAI in EdTech: Learning from five UK case studies
by Sonia Livingstone 12 Sep '25

12 Sep '25

Apologies for cross-posting A child rights audit of GenAI in EdTech: Learning from five UK case studies A new report by the Digital Futures for Children centre by Ayça Atabey, Kim Sylwander and Sonia Livingstone uses sociolegal techniques to determine whether five GenAI tools used in the classroom - Character.AI, Grammarly, MagicSchool AI, Microsoft Copilot and Mind's Eye - uphold key rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Key findings Some AI tools empowered and helped children, supporting their right to participate. But all five AI tools were found to share children's data in ways that do not comply with GDPR, exposing children to commercial exploitation. Some AI tools were providing misleading or out-of-context information, leading to significant safeguarding concerns. For example, when children in the UK shared their mental health struggles, they were given US helpline numbers they couldn't call. Other problematic instances included: MagicSchool AI (marketed as "best for safety") exposes children as young as 12 to tracking by erotic and friend finder websites. Character.AI shares inconsistent information and is known to trigger severe dependencies. Grammarly falsely accuses students of plagiarism while allowing companies like Facebook and Google to track their activity. For more information Read the report at https://www.digital-futures-for-children.net/our-work/genai-edtech For the DFC, please visit https://www.digital-futures-for-children.net/home For our ongoing EdTech research, visit https://www.digital-futures-for-children.net/our-work/edtech-future Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.digital-futures-for-children.net/contact-us All the very best, Sonia Professor Sonia Livingstone OBE, FBA, FAcSS, FBPS, FRSA FAW.7.01M, Department of Media and Communications London School of Economics and Political Science London WC2A 2AE

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The 33rd IEEE International Conference on Software Analysis, Evolution and Reengineering (SANER 2026): First Combo Call for Workshop Papers
by Announce 12 Sep '25

12 Sep '25

*** First Combo Call for Workshop Papers *** The 33rd IEEE International Conference on Software Analysis, Evolution and Reengineering (SANER 2026) 17 March, 2026, 5* St. Raphael Resort and Marina, Limassol, Cyprus https://conf.researchr.org/track/saner-2026 SANER 2026 will feature the following workshops. Please visit the workshops' websites and/or contact their organisers for more details. SQA4AI – Software Quality Assurance for Artificial Intelligence https://sqa4ai-ws.github.io Greenvolve – The Green Software Evolution Workshop https://greenvolve.github.io Fairness 2026 – 2nd International Workshop on Fairness in Software Systems https://fairnessworkshop.github.io F-TRANSFER – Facilitating Continuous Education and Training Through AI in SE https://www.cs.ubbcluj.ro/~avescan/f-transfer-2026/ IWBOSE 2026 – Ninth International Workshop on Blockchain Oriented Software Engineering https://www.agile-group.org/iwbose2026/ VST 2026 – 9th Workshop on Validation, Analysis and Evolution of Software Tests https://vstworkshop.github.io/vst2026/ MSR4P&S 2026 – 4th International Workshop on Mining Software Repositories Applications for Privacy and Security https://msr4ps.github.io SUBMISSION LINK https://easychair.org/my/conference?conf=saner2026 IMPORTANT DATES • Abstract Submission: 12 December, 2025 • Paper Submission: 18 December, 2025 • Notification: January 14, 2026 • Camera-Ready: 20 January, 2026 All dates are 23:59h AoE (anywhere on Earth). ORGANISATION General Chair • Georgia Kapitsaki, University of Cyprus, Cyprus Local Organizing Chair • George Angelos Papadopoulos, University of Cyprus, Cyprus Workshops and Tutorials Co-Chairs • Marcelo De Almeida Maia, Federal University of Uberlandia, Brazil • Juri Di Rocco, University of L'Aquila, Italy

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Winner of the 2025 Nancy Baym Book Award
by AoIR Association Coordinator 11 Sep '25

11 Sep '25

The AoIR Nancy Baym Annual Book Award committee is happy to announce the winner of this year’s award. We received nearly 30 nominations for 2025 and the decision was not an easy one. The winner of the 2025 Nancy Baym Book Award is T*he Secret Life of Data: Navigating Hype and Uncertainty in the Age of Algorithmic Surveillance* by Aram Sinnreich and Jesse Gilbert (The MIT Press). This book makes a distinctive and timely contribution to the study of data and, more importantly, a critical intervention in how we understand the cultural, political, and social significance of data in contemporary life. The book addresses one of the most pressing issues in internet research and public policy today: the ways in which data circulate, mutate, and elude fixed meaning, shaping—and being shaped by—human interpretation across systems, societies, and time. In advancing their argument, Sinnreich and Gilbert develop a compelling and eclectic theoretical base and deploy a variety of methods to reveal the “secret life” of data as both concept and asset. The book identifies the core tension at the heart of datafied life: rather than merely entailing numerical values, data have become deeply entangled with what it means to be human, yet remain profoundly unstable in meaning and resistant to technological control. What distinguishes *The Secret Life of Data* is also its side-door approach to a subject that might otherwise be well-worn. Its global perspective—global not in geographic scope alone, but in its capacity to offer a contextualized, aerial view of post-digital immersion—sets it apart from much of the literature. Finally, Sinnreich and Gilbert’s writing style strikes a careful balance between accessibility and complexity. The book is firmly grounded in solid scholarship, yet it is engaging and approachable for both academic and non-academic audiences. In today’s data-saturated environment, *The Secret Life of Data* is both timely and transformative—revealing the hidden dimensions of data that shape our lives and giving readers the tools to see beyond its surface into its secret life. The committee would also like to recognize,* Algorithms of Resistance: The Everyday Fight Against Platform Power* by Tiziano Bonini and Emiliano Treré (The MIT Press) with an Honorable Mention. This book makes an innovative and timely contribution to the saturated research field on the role of algorithms in society. By focusing on the precarious labor force of delivery drivers, Trere and Bonini shed new light on the micropolitics of “gaming the algorithm” and the interfaces through which algorithmic power is experienced, negotiated, and resisted. This perspective, reminiscent of Weapons of the Weak, highlights how human and strategic agency can influence, reshape, and even subvert what platforms produce. International in scope, Algorithms of Resistance further offers a fresh comparative angle and provides a rich foundation for future research. AoIR is very grateful for the work of this year’s committee: Jun Liu, Committee Chair (University of Copenhagen); Nancy Baym, (Microsoft); Dr Niki Cheong (King’s College London); Dr Helton Levy (London Metropolitan University); Robert Tynes (Bard College); John McNutt (University of Delaware); Sarah Murray, (University of Michigan).

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