Technology doesn’t operate in a vacuum. Neither does our research.

We research the intersection of technology platforms and democratic society. We analyze how social differences shape unequal dynamics in our information systems and prioritize questions of power. And that work produces insights that inform a digital future rooted in equality and justice.

Media and January 6th

"Media and January 6th" features short, provocative, and accessible contributions from a range of diverse scholars, edited by Khadijah Costley White, Daniel Kreiss, Shannon C. McGregor, and Rebekah Tromble.

 

"The images cast across screens across the country on January 6, 2021, laid bare the fragility of American democracy as the steps and halls of the US Capitol were inundated by a violent band of insurrectionists. Fed by blatant lies, political anger, and racial animus, they sought to halt a procedure enshrined in the US Constitution and to overturn a freely and fairly run election. Meanwhile, efforts to obstruct, avoid, and misrepresent the subsequent investigation of the January 6th attack have continued apace.

 

With a relative dearth of work that centers historical and contemporary racial, ethnic, and power dynamics in the context of media, our interdisciplinary field was caught flat-footed, unprepared to respond to those who actively seek to undermine American democracy. This edited volume is a first step toward remedying that situation. Media and January 6th brings together a diverse group of leading scholars to help us more clearly understand the relationship between media and the attempted coup. The volume examines why and how January 6th came to be and the centrality of media to the event. It is organized around three key questions: How should we understand January 6, 2021? What should research look like after January 6, 2021? And how can we prevent another event like this?"

The Latest From CITAP

News

Francesca Tripodi on Prager U

December 18, 2023
“They provide this nostalgia for a past that never really existed.” .

Tressie McMillan Cottom honored with Brandeis’s Gittler Prize on October 27th

November 1, 2023
Tressie also visited classes and engaged with the Brandeis community for 3 days as part of her residency .

CITAP is Hiring!

September 18, 2023
We are seeking 2 Postdoctoral Research Associates to join us at CITAP .

CITAP is hiring!

August 23, 2023
We are seeking a dynamic, motivated Executive Director to provide innovative and visionary leadership for CITAP .

Announcing the 2023-24 affiliate community

August 4, 2023
We’re pleased to welcome our 2023-2024 cohort of affiliates .

Summer 2023 personnel announcements

July 14, 2023
This summer, CITAP is celebrating big moves across our team .

Francesca Tripodi wins 2023 CIP Award for Impact and Excellence

June 23, 2023
The award recognizes Tripodi’s research contributions to strengthening democracy against disinformation .

Call for Papers: Symposium on Misinformation & Marginalization

June 1, 2023
This symposium on Misinformation & Marginalization will explore global and comparative frames for mis- and disinformation studies that center marginalized perspectives .

Publications

Ms. Categorized: Gender, notability, and inequality on Wikipedia

March 14, 2024
(Research Summary by Katherine Furl)  Fewer than one in five English-language Wikipedia biographies on academics, inventors, and writers are about women. Wikipedia’s .

Media and January 6th

February 16, 2024
Media and January 6th brings together a diverse group of leading scholars to help us more clearly understand the relationship between media and the attempted .

What’s in your PIE?

February 4, 2024
showcase the capabilities of PIEGraph to provide unique insight into the kinds of content users encounter on X .

Data Controllers as Data Fiduciaries

February 4, 2024
Noelle Wilson and Amanda Reid examine two common regulatory models discussed in the context of U.S. consumer privacy law .

Platforms, Power, and Politics

December 5, 2023
How does the recent proliferation of digital media shape our approach to political communication .

Transparency reports as CSR reports

November 1, 2023
How can we understand the motivations, audiences, and meanings of transparency reports produced by information and communications technology (ICT) companies .

CNN Can Kiss My As$

October 18, 2023
Who in the United States consumes far-right news media, and what does this consumption mean for American democracy .

Regulating Facial Recognition Technology

October 9, 2023
We analyze the regulatory patchwork used by state and local policymakers to govern facial recognition technology in the absence of federal legislation .

Events

Media and January 6th

Join us for “Media and January 6th,” an event where we will bring together a diverse group of leading scholars to help us .

Forrest Stuart

Please join us for Forrest Stuart’s talk, “Institutional Decision-Making in the Digital Age: The Case of Social Media Data in Criminal .

TJ Billard: Voices for Transgender Equality

TJ Billard offers an insider’s view into transgender activism during the first two years of the Trump administration .

Symposium on Religion, Media, and Public Life

Addressing the intersection of technology, American religion, and politics with particular attention to race and power .

Symposium on Misinformation and Marginalization

How does misinformation circulate in marginalized communities, and what misinformation narratives are shared about marginalized groups .

Lee McGuigan: Selling the American People

Where did adtech come from, and how did data-driven marketing come to mediate the daily encounters of people, products, and public spheres .

Melanie Feinberg: Everyday Adventures with Unruly Data

To understand the power and pitfalls of data science, we must attend to the data itself, not merely the algorithms that manipulate it .

Bridget Barrett: Merchandizing Democracy

Who buys campaign merch? Why do campaigns partake in merchandizing? What sells? Most importantly, what else can we learn from today’s online marketplaces for .