The idiosyncratic and surprising ways computer hobbyists in Czechoslovakia challenged the power of the oppressive political regime and harnessed early microcomputer technology for both entertainment and activism.
Podcast, Stuart Cunningham and David Craig: “Social Media Entertainment”
Media scholars Stuart Cunningham and David Craig propose challenging, revisionist accounts of the political economy of digital media, the precarious status of creative labor and media management, and the possibilities of progressive cultural politics in commercializing environments.
Video and podcast: Dispatches From the Golden Age of Audio
Cynthia Graber and Al Letson on how podcasting struggles to create gold standards for building shows that will be popular and financially sustainable.
Podcast: Nick-Brie Guarriello, “The Good Stuff”: The Intersections of Work, Leisure, and Relational Bonding on Tumblr and Patreon
Nick-Brie Guarriello on the political economies and labor demands of micro-celebrity and Influencer culture across social media platforms regarding the Pokémon GO community.
Podcast, Caren Kaplan: “Bringing the War Home” – Visual Aftermaths and Domestic Disturbances in the Era of Modern Warfare
Caren Kaplan focuses on a period that includes the Vietnam War (1955-1975) and extends into the “War on Terror” through a consideration of Martha Rosler’s photo collage series “House Beautiful: Bringing the War Home” (1967-2004).
Podcast: Roderick Hart, “The Language of Civic Life: Past to Present”
The University of Texas’ Roderick Hart argues that disagreements – endless, raucous disagreements – draw citizens in, or at least enough of them to sustain civic hope.
Video and podcast, Civic Arts Series: Myron Dewey, “Protecting the Water in Solidarity and Unity”
Myron Dewey has pioneered the blending of citizen monitoring, documentary filmmaking, and social networking in the cause of environment, social justice and indigenous people’s rights.
