“Knowledge is a practical assemblage, a ‘mechanism’ of statements and visibilities.” — Deleuze People often ask why I bother learning the algorithms and technologies that drive today’s AI innovations – I am a digital anthropologist after all and not a hard-baked computer scientist. Should I just not focus on the bread-and-butter of qualitative research – thick description, deep contextual knowledge of cultures, in-depth understanding of the nuances of language –
Dina Matar Centre for Global Media and Communication, SOAS Media reporting of the spread coronavirus in China and elsewhere has underlined their role in normalizing a familiar Western narrative of a dreadful threat from outside. Much of the coverage particularly in Western news media, has framed the issue in the language of concern, anxiety and plain fear. Inevitably it is accompanied by imagery of lockdowns, seclusion, isolation and containment –
Dr Massoumeh Torfeh discusses Iranian rapper who articulates citizens’ discontent over the killing of protesters in a post on TRT World. See link
Dr Massoumeh Torfeh discusses the aftermath of Ghasem Suleimani’s assassination. Dr Torfeh is a Research Associate at Centre for Global Media and Communications, SOAS. Link to article Image credit
Lebanon Protests and ‘fake news’ By Zahera Harb On October 17 a wave of protests erupted in Lebanon against corruption. Almost half of the Lebanese population took to the streets demanding an end to corruption, transparent economic policies, social justice and protection of the environment. Slogans, such as ‘down with the sectarian confessional regime,’ mingled with calls for the resignation of all state officials whose practices were regarded as corrupt
Ismini Sahli Anastassiou, a former student in the Transnational Communities and Diasporic Media writes about Chilean telenovelas. Domesticating Otherness: The representation of Arabs in a Chilean Telenovela Latin American telenovelas and their romantic and carnivalesque storylines have turned out to be one of the most watched programmes in the region, as well as the most exported televisual products globally. The melodramatic narratives appeal to the family, thus proving to be
The Listening Post on Al Jazeera English is a weekly programme that examines and dissects the world’s media, how they operate and the stories they cover. This week it takes a look at the recent protests in Iraq which resulted in the loss of over 150 lives, a shutdown by the government of the internet and attacks on media outlets by unknown forces. Aida Al-Kaisy joins this weeks programme to
Dr Massoumeh Torfeh, Research Associate at Centre for Global Media and Communications, explores a major new development in Iran-China relationship in a new article. She writes, “A Chinese investment pledge to the tune of a whopping $400 billion puts a wrench in American plans to isolate Iran – but what will it cost Iran? While the United States Administration wrestles with exerting “maximum pressure” on Iran, and the European signatories
Emma Jacobs explores competing discourses of identity on two Jewish websites. Emma did a module on Transnational Communities and Diasporic media in 2018/19 academic year. Image credit: “Birthright Israel: Bus 423” by HRYMX is licensed under CC BY 2.0 As a genre of travel, Birthright Israel—a free ten-day trip to Israel for Jewish young adults, funded by the Israeli government, Zionist organizations, and private donors—sits at a strange point of
Dr Massoumeh Torfeh, Research Associate at the Centre for Global Media and Communications, explores the question Trump’s strategy in relation to Iran in the article linked below for TRT World: TRT Article link Featured image credit: “Kerman, bazaar” by hermien_amsterdam is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
