en en Tech and Politics One of the most important challenges societies face today is how to make sense of digital media. We are deeply uncertain about their impact: mechanisms, conditions, and opportunities of and for their uses remain unclear. The goal the podcast is to help you to make sense of digital media, the changes it brings, and the challenges it presents. This podcast accompanies the lecture series Digital Media in Politics & Society of the Chair for the Governance of Complex and Innovative Technological Systems at the University of Bamberg. https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm Sat, 18 Apr 2026 18:04:44 +0200 Andreas Jungherr yes https://lcdn.letscast.fm/media/podcast/eb6d594a/artwork-3000x3000.png?t=1649674996 Tech and Politics https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm Andreas Jungherr LetsCast.fm (https://letscast.fm) Making Sense of Digital Media in Politics and Society Andreas Jungherr serial https://letscast.fm/podcasts/tech-and-politics-0fbe6359/feed Digital Media, Politics, Technology and Society, Political Science, Communication Science Andreas Jungherr andreas.jungherr@gmail.com no no no Andreas Jungherr One of the most important challenges societies face today is how to make sense of digital media. We are deeply uncertain about their impact: mechanisms, conditions, and opportunities of and for their uses remain unclear. The goal the podcast is to help you to make sense of digital media, the changes it brings, and the challenges it presents. This podcast accompanies the lecture series Digital Media in Politics & Society of the Chair for the Governance of Complex and Innovative Technological Systems at the University of Bamberg. no no c3e18df3d8f44ae684c8309c9e973388 Artificial intelligence and democracy: Equality, elections, and autocratic competition (once more) In which we discuss three further areas where artificial intelligence begins to touch on democracy: equality, elections, and the systemic competition between democracy and autocracy.]]> Tue, 23 Jan 2024 07:45:00 +0100 In this episode, we focus on three further contact areas between AI and democracy at different analytical levels:

At the group level, AI impacts equality of rights among different groups of people in society.

At the institutional level, AI impacts the perception of elections as a fair and open mechanism for channeling and managing political conflict.

At the systems level, AI impacts competition between democratic and autocratic systems of government.

Skript: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/ai.html#artificial-intelligence-and-equality
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/artificial-intelligence-and-democracy-equality-elections-and-autocratic-competition-once-more Artificial intelligence and democracy: Equality, elections, and autocratic competition (once more) 00:32:57 Andreas Jungherr 2 12 full In which we discuss three further areas where artificial intelligence begins to touch on democracy: equality, elections, and the systemic competition between democracy and autocracy.]]> AI, Artificial Intelligence, Democracy, Autocracy, Equality, Voting, Elections, Organized Uncertainty, China, Social Credit System no no no no 30435f662bb04a889f5d153c8f6b9fe7 Artificial intelligence and self-rule (once more) At the individual level, AI impacts the conditions of democratic self-rule and people’s opportunities to exercise it.]]> Mon, 22 Jan 2024 09:20:00 +0100 One tenet of democracy is that governments should be chosen by those they will serve. Such self-rule is a normative idea about legitimizing the temporal power of rulers over the ruled and a practical idea that distributed decision making is superior to other more centralized forms of decision making or rule by experts. AI impacts both the ability of people to achieve self-rule and the perceived superiority of distributed decision making over expert rule in complex social systems, highlighting potential limits to self-rule in several ways.

Skript: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/ai.html#artificial-intelligence-and-self-rule]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/artificial-intelligence-and-self-rule-once-more Artificial intelligence and self-rule (once more) 00:25:28 Andreas Jungherr 2 11 full At the individual level, AI impacts the conditions of democratic self-rule and people’s opportunities to exercise it.]]> AI, Artificial Intelligence, Democracy, Self-Rule, Speech, News, Manipulation, Tech-Companies, Experts, Expert Rule, Economics of News, Information Environments, Public Arena no no no no 002cd30a654e424b800ef66fced24b71 Conditions for the successful application of artificial intelligence (once more) The successful application of artificial intelligence depends on a set of preconditions.]]> Thu, 18 Jan 2024 09:13:00 +0100 The successful application of artificial intelligence depends on a set of preconditions. Some are obvious. For example, to be successful AI needs to be able to access some digital representation of its environment, either through sensors mapping the world or through the input of existing data. Where these representations are difficult to come by or data are scarce, as in many areas of politics, AI will not be successful. Other preconditions are not so obvious. For example, for AI to produce helpful results, the underlying connections between inputs and outputs must be stable over time. This points to two problems: unobserved temporal shifts between variables and the dangers of relying on purely correlative evidence without support of causal models.

More important still, especially with respect to democracy, is that normatively speaking the past must provide a useful template for the future. Change is a crucial feature of societies, especially the extension of rights and the participation of previously excluded groups. Over time, many societies strive to decrease discrimination and increase equality. In fact, many policies are consciously designed to break with past patterns of discrimination. AI-based predictions and classifications based on past patterns risk replicating systemic inequalities and even structural discrimination.

Few problems in politics and in democracy more broadly share these characteristics. This limits the application of AI in society and, accordingly, its impact on democracy.

Skript: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/ai.html#conditions-for-the-successful-application-of-artificial-intelligence
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/conditions-for-the-successful-application-of-artificial-intelligence-once-more Conditions for the successful application of artificial intelligence (once more) 00:23:07 Andreas Jungherr 2 10 full The successful application of artificial intelligence depends on a set of preconditions.]]> Artificial Intelligence, AI, Data, Voting, Prediction no no no no 3a49f7977db742439180bb63df1bbb2c Artificial intelligence and democracy (once more) The success and widespread deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) have raised awareness of the technology’s economic, social, and political consequences. The most recent step in AI development -- the application of large language models (LLMs) and other transformer models to the generation of text, image, video, or audio content -- has come to dominate the public imaginary of AI and has accelerated this discussion. But to assess AI’s societal impact meaningfully, we need to look closely at the workings of the underlying technology and identify the areas of contact within democracy.]]> Wed, 17 Jan 2024 08:45:00 +0100 AI has become a pervasive presence in society. Recent technological advances have allowed for broad deployment of AI-based systems in many different areas of social, economic, and political life. In the process, AI has had - or is expected to have - a deep effect on each area it touches. We see examples in discussions about algorithmic shaping of digital communication environments and the associated deterioration of political discourse; the flooding of the public arena with false or misleading information enabled by generative AI; the future of work and AI’s role in replacement of jobs and related automation-driven unemployment; and AI’s impact on shifting the competitive balance between autocracies and democracies. With these developments, AI has also begun to touch on the very idea and practice of democracy.

Skript: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/ai.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/artificial-intelligence-and-democracy-once-more Artificial intelligence and democracy (once more) 00:20:20 Andreas Jungherr 2 9 full The success and widespread deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) have raised awareness of the technology’s economic, social, and political consequences. The most recent step in AI development -- the application of large language models (LLMs) and other transformer models to the generation of text, image, video, or audio content -- has come to dominate the public imaginary of AI and has accelerated this discussion. But to assess AI’s societal impact meaningfully, we need to look closely at the workings of the underlying technology and identify the areas of contact within democracy.]]> Artificial Intelligence, AI, Artificial General Intelligence, AGI, Narrow AI, Democracy no no no no 0939dc763c6a418b88ec4300e435105d Algorithms: Fears & What can we do to improve algorithms use in society? In this episode, we focus on remaining fears and challenges associated with algorithms: bubbles and loops, the alignment problem, and opaqueness. We close the discussion of algorithms by an account what can be done to improve their uses in society.]]> Thu, 07 Dec 2023 09:15:00 +0100 Algorithms are used in ever more societal areas. This raises broad concerns. While in principle algorithms provide a set of clearly defined steps to solve a given problem, their current uses have raised the question whether this is still the case. In the following sections, we will focus on concerns about algorithms trapping people in algorithmically constructed bubbles and loops, the alignment problem, and opaqueness of algorithmic decision making and its consequences.

But these worries should not distract us and blind us with fear. The use of algorithms in society is not optional. So these issues should point us to improving algorithms and their use, not entertain the illusion of somehow avoiding their use. This includes conscious and informed approaches to mechanism design underlying the algorithm and algorithm auditing and forensics.

Script: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/algorithms.html#bubbles-and-loops]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/algorithms-fears-what-can-we-do-to-improve-algorithms-use-in-society Algorithms: Fears & What can we do to improve algorithms use in society? 00:33:35 Andreas Jungherr 2 8 full In this episode, we focus on remaining fears and challenges associated with algorithms: bubbles and loops, the alignment problem, and opaqueness. We close the discussion of algorithms by an account what can be done to improve their uses in society.]]> Algorithms, Data, Opaqueness, Transparency, Alignment Problem, Algorithm Audits, Algorithm Forensics, Mechanism Design, Filter Bubbles, Feedback Loops no no no no a7e3bb46ef4143b687478348b855560e Algorithmic Action & Fairness In this episode, we focus on algorithmic action and fairness.]]> Wed, 06 Dec 2023 09:45:00 +0100 Algorithms need not stop at providing insight or advice, some also can take automated action. These algorithms are designed to process data, make decisions, and execute actions without requiring human intervention at every step.

Beyond the uses of algorithms, we also need to address risks and fears. One risk is algorithmically enabled unfairness:

Once algorithms start shaping people's option spaces, the question of fairness emerges. Algorithms make, or at least support, decisions about people spanning various areas of their life: they assign people's credit ratings, they evaluate their job applications, they assess the likelihood of them engaging in criminal activity, or administer welfare benefits. These algorithmic assessments and decisions matter for the choices people have and the way they are treated by institutions of authority. This makes it important that algorithms are treating people fairly.

Script: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/algorithms.html#algorithmic-action]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/algorithmic-action-fairness Algorithmic Action & Fairness 00:21:05 Andreas Jungherr 2 7 full In this episode, we focus on algorithmic action and fairness.]]> Algorithms, Algorithmic Action, High Frequency Trading, Automation, Fairness, Predictive Policing no no no no 27d515e5712640e6a8710181d1db6066 Algorithmic Support Algorithms are also used to provide suggestions and advice.Iit is helpful to differentiate between algorithms providing advice and suggestions to experts and those providing advice and suggestions for lay people and users of digital communication environments and services.]]> Tue, 05 Dec 2023 08:45:00 +0100 Algorithms are also used to provide suggestions and advice. This includes algorithms that suggest courses of action or scenarios about future developments based on regularities identified in past data. Examples include algorithms that recommend users of digital media platforms content of potential interest, algorithms that advice police forces on where to expect a concentration of criminal activity, or algorithms that advice doctors on whether specific symptoms indicate a specific disease. Algorithms play a crucial role in decision-making processes across various sectors, helping individuals and organizations to make informed choices by offering data-driven suggestions.

In discussing these algorithms, their uses, effects, and evaluation, it is helpful to differentiate between algorithms providing advice and suggestions to experts and those providing advice and suggestions for lay people and users of digital communication environments and services.

Script: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/algorithms.html#algorithmic-support
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/algorithmic-support Algorithmic Support 00:18:36 Andreas Jungherr 2 6 full Algorithms are also used to provide suggestions and advice.Iit is helpful to differentiate between algorithms providing advice and suggestions to experts and those providing advice and suggestions for lay people and users of digital communication environments and services.]]> Data, Algorithms, Algorithmic Support, Recommendation Systems, Predictive Policing no no no no 6c12ef909c1044e9932bf95089757341 Algorithms Algorithms are sets of steps by which to solve pre-defined tasks. Today the term appears predominantly in connection with computing. Algorithms allow computers to perform tasks. They are crucial in the advances of computer-enabled analysis and automation.]]> Mon, 04 Dec 2023 09:30:00 +0100 The uses of algorithms vary widely. Algorithms can identify patterns in data, surfacing hidden connections between phenomena or actions. Similarly, algorithms can also be used to automate actions. Based on rules learned from past data, algorithms can automatically present people with specific options.

Algorithms thus help us understand the world better and interact with it more efficiently. But algorithms are also a source of worry. How can we be sure that patterns identified from data documenting the past should be replicated in the present or future? How can we know what the algorithm learns from data? And how can we be sure that the actions taken by algorithms conform with the goals, with which we have designed and deployed them?

Script: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/algorithms.html
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/algorithms Algorithms 00:22:58 Andreas Jungherr 2 5 full Algorithms are sets of steps by which to solve pre-defined tasks. Today the term appears predominantly in connection with computing. Algorithms allow computers to perform tasks. They are crucial in the advances of computer-enabled analysis and automation.]]> Algorithms, Algorithmic insight, Data, Machine learning, Barack Obama, Political donations, Campaigning no no no no 8c61d3be1b754d0c98488294e7eda0c3 Privacy This episode sketches the tensions that arise from the drive to generate data-enabled insights and people's expectations and rights to privacy.]]> Thu, 16 Nov 2023 09:07:00 +0100 The natural corollary to quantification and data-driven insight and capabilities is privacy. The simple formula is the more data, the greater the potential analytical insights, the greater the capacity of organizations, companies, or states to make profits, shape people's option spaces, or the future. People's interests and rights in keeping aspects of their lives, character traits, interests, and behavior private can appear as an annoying speed-bump on the road to greater capacity and profits. This is especially relevant in the collection and use of data documenting people's uses of digital devices or services.

New capabilities in data collection, retention, and their uses raise hopes and desires within companies and governments for access to ever more data on ever more users on ever more aspects of the world. But here, interests between companies, governments, and users do not necessarily align and might in fact diverge. Greater capacity of companies and governments might run counter to the interests and rights of people who find themselves documented in data.

Script: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/data.html#privacy
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/privacy Privacy 00:22:15 Andreas Jungherr 2 4 full This episode sketches the tensions that arise from the drive to generate data-enabled insights and people's expectations and rights to privacy.]]> Digital Media, Social Science, Data, Measurement, Privacy no no no no 64b8c76552bc42b28cefbc17aa3b0797 Observing and shaping the world with data Data provide a reduced representation of the world and promise to uncover hidden patterns and connections between entities that remain invisible in their full, unreduced manifestation in the world. This allows people and organizations to make sense of the world, and increase their level of control.]]> Wed, 15 Nov 2023 09:15:00 +0100 Data provide a reduced representation of the world and promise to uncover hidden patterns and connections between entities that remain invisible in their full, unreduced manifestation in the world. This allows people and organizations to make sense of the world, and increase their level of control. But data do not only allow people and organizations to see the world, they also allow them to shape the future. Building mathematical models of the world, provides new ways to form expectations about relevant future developments as well as effects of specific actions and interventions. Having access to better models about the world allows people and organizations to position themselves with greater foresight in the world regarding future developments and effects of their actions. This allows them to outperform the competition and shape the future according to their interests.

Script: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/data.html#observing-the-world-through-data]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/observing-and-shaping-the-world-with-data Observing and shaping the world with data 00:23:18 Andreas Jungherr 2 3 full Data provide a reduced representation of the world and promise to uncover hidden patterns and connections between entities that remain invisible in their full, unreduced manifestation in the world. This allows people and organizations to make sense of the world, and increase their level of control.]]> Digital Media, Social Science, Data, Measurement, Metrics, Models, Quantification no no no no 30b0fa87198f4d32b25858ae3abea89d Measurement Quantification makes some things visible, while hiding others. To better understand this process, we have to examine how things become numbers, we have to examine measurement.]]> Tue, 14 Nov 2023 09:10:00 +0100 By translating observations into numbers, quantification provides opportunities for new and important insights about the world and objects of interest. But as with any translation, making entities and phenomena countable means also losing some of their features. Quantification makes some things visible, while hiding others. To better understand this process, we have to examine how things become numbers, we have to examine measurement.]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/measurement Measurement 00:18:21 Andreas Jungherr 2 2 full Quantification makes some things visible, while hiding others. To better understand this process, we have to examine how things become numbers, we have to examine measurement.]]> Digital Media, Social Science, Data, Measurement, Bias, Quantification no no no no 5a4401e1fea046d58b5118284d22b49e Data Data are crucial for the discussion of politics and digital media. Understanding the core concepts and issues arising from the quantification of social and political life and the resulting data is important for engaging in many of the subsequent controversies of the uses of digital media in politics.]]> Mon, 13 Nov 2023 09:30:00 +0100 Data are crucial for the discussion of politics and digital media. Understanding the core concepts and issues arising from the quantification of social and political life and the resulting data is important for engaging in many of the subsequent controversies of the uses of digital media in politics. Digital media, devices, and sensors collect data documenting the world, society, and human behavior. This has been seen by some as a measurement revolution, providing many new avenues for the social sciences as well as new business opportunities in the economy. Perceived potentials and dangers in the increases in the volume and breadth of coverage of digital data are broadly discussed, but it is also important to examine how these new data sources relate to the social or behavioral phenomena they supposedly cover. New data riches have to be translated into meaningful measures of phenomena of interest and society.

In this episode, we will discuss core issues arising from the quantification of social and political life. Following this, we will discuss opportunities and limitations of big data.

Script: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/data.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/data Data 00:23:27 Andreas Jungherr 2 1 full Data are crucial for the discussion of politics and digital media. Understanding the core concepts and issues arising from the quantification of social and political life and the resulting data is important for engaging in many of the subsequent controversies of the uses of digital media in politics.]]> Data, Big Data, Digital Trace Data, Measurement, Quantification no no no no 1320be8247694c98b31f2801589e363b Digitaler Wandel im Kaleidoskop der Sozialwissenschaft Keynote zur Gemeinsamen Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Journalistik/Journalismusforschung, der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Kommunikation und Politik, dem Arbeitskreis Politik und Kommunikation (DVPW) und der Fachgruppe Politische Kommunikation (SGKM) an der Universität Trier vom 29. September 2022.]]> Tue, 04 Oct 2022 08:30:00 +0200 Unterschiedliche Sozialwissenschaften stehen vor einer geteilten Aufgabe:

Wie können wir den digitalen Wandel und den Wandel durch das Digitale in Journalismus und politischer Kommunikation abbilden und wie können wir die zugrundeliegenden Dynamiken und Effekte erklärbar machen?

In dieser Episode diskutiere ich einige der damit verbundenen Herausforderungen und Ansätze wie sich das Feld gemeinsam dieser Aufgabe stellen kann.

Skript:
https://andreasjungherr.net/2022/10/04/keynote-digitaler-wandel-im-kaleidoskop-der-sozialwissenschaft ]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/digitaler-wandel-im-kaleidoskop-der-sozialwissenschaft Digitaler Wandel im Kaleidoskop der Sozialwissenschaft 00:32:34 Andreas Jungherr 1 22 full Keynote zur Gemeinsamen Jahrestagung der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Journalistik/Journalismusforschung, der DGPuK-Fachgruppe Kommunikation und Politik, dem Arbeitskreis Politik und Kommunikation (DVPW) und der Fachgruppe Politische Kommunikation (SGKM) an der Universität Trier vom 29. September 2022.]]> Digital Media, Social Science, Disinformation, Science, Transfer, Epistemic Authority, DGPuK. DVPW, SGKM, Keynote no no no no c8062f84d8eb47d7ab69b6d715753524 The public arena examined In this episode, we look at three studies illustrating how to approach different aspects of the contemporary public arena empirically.]]> Mon, 18 Jul 2022 21:00:00 +0200 The public arena is a crucial element of democratic societies, linking communication to political competition and democratic representation. It comes as no surprise then to find that the concept has inspired massive research activity. The digital transformation of the public arena has featured very prominently in recent research. The diversity of interests, approaches, and methods in studies on the contemporary digitally extended public arena mirrors the richness of the concept and its related areas.

To get a better sense of different approaches by which to examine the contemporary public arena empirically, we now turn to three studies that address related questions.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:21 - The public arena examined
01:44 - Limits to attention
07:19 - Digital shaping of behavior
13:23 - Contesting narratives
19:36 - The contemporary public arena
24:16 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/public_arena.html#the-public-arena-examined]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/the-public-arena-examined The public arena examined 00:24:55 Andreas Jungherr 1 21 full In this episode, we look at three studies illustrating how to approach different aspects of the contemporary public arena empirically.]]> Public Arena, Digital Media no no no no 8f61ac163fe1467dadd88f7c039b5a69 Digital structures of the public arena Digital media have not only challenged the position of traditional structures of the public arena. Digital media have also led to the emergence of new structures hosting the contemporary public arena in digital communication environments. In this episode, we discuss some of the most pressing challenges raised by the digital extension of the public arena.]]> Sun, 17 Jul 2022 20:00:00 +0200 This includes sites like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube that allow people and competitors within the public arena to publish information and to reach large audiences. But this also includes companies that provide the means for people to run their own sites contributing information and commentary to the public arena. This includes services that allow the comparatively cheap hosting of sites or Apps - like Amazon Web Services - allowing people to run their own sites. Or services that provide them with the opportunity to monetize information or services - like PayPal or Patreon. Also services facilitating the hosting of digital ads contribute to the digital extension of the public arena. Digital ads contribute to the monetization of sites by allowing the owner to host ads and get payed for impressions and clickthroughs. They also support the new structures by allowing their owners to run ads themselves and create easy access points to their sites and information on sites like Facebook, Google, or Twitter, where their information might otherwise not have been able to reach an interested public.

These new structures are important for the new digitally extended public arena. But in their characteristics they deviate from structures that formerly hosted the public arena, news media, and follow different rules. This raises challenges in developing normative goals and binding governance rules assuring their contribution to the public arena strengthens instead of weakens it.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:20 - Digital structures of the public arena
02:21 - Responsibilities of digital structures for the public arena
10:08 - Algorithmic shaping of user behavior in the public arena
17:12 - Geopolitics of digital structures
24:32 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/public_arena.html#digital-structures-of-the-public-arena]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/digital-structures-of-the-public-arena Digital structures of the public arena 00:25:16 Andreas Jungherr 1 20 full Digital media have not only challenged the position of traditional structures of the public arena. Digital media have also led to the emergence of new structures hosting the contemporary public arena in digital communication environments. In this episode, we discuss some of the most pressing challenges raised by the digital extension of the public arena.]]> Digital Media, Public Arena, Platforms, Governance, Regulation, Geopolitics, Algorithms, Filter Bubble no no no no fb938256f9fd4fda87f1aabcd27a9efd News media as structures of the public arena In this episode, we discuss the impact of digital media on one of the most important structures hosting the public arena, the news media.]]> Thu, 14 Jul 2022 15:00:00 +0200 From the eighteenth century onward, news media have been crucial structures hosting the public arena in Western societies. They provided information, made elites visible to publics, and publics visible to elites and to each other. In this, they never functioned without fault or were completely free from power structures in society. Their role, beneficial and detrimental, in hosting the public arena and serving democracy over time and in different countries has been well established. But for our purposes here, we will focus on three features of news media that matter strongly for the contemporary public arena: 
  • The role of news media as an institution; 
  • The economic foundations of news; and 
  • The emergence of alternative news media in the public arena.
Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - News media as structures of the public arena
01:14 - News media as institutions
09:23 - Economic foundations of the news
16:23 - Alternative news media in the public arena
23:24 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/public_arena.html#news-media-as-structures-of-the-public-arena
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/news-media-as-structures-of-the-public-arena News media as structures of the public arena 00:24:08 Andreas Jungherr 1 19 full In this episode, we discuss the impact of digital media on one of the most important structures hosting the public arena, the news media.]]> Digital Media, Public Arena, News Media, Business of News, Two-Sided Markets no no no no 3c3976c3431d40de9dc807c578430208 The public arena Democratic societies need spaces in which people and political elites become visible to each other, develop shared agendas, and settle on collectively binding decisions. These spaces are the public arena.]]> Wed, 13 Jul 2022 21:00:00 +0200 The digital transformation of the public arena is one of the most important challenges democratic societies face today. Associated opportunities and hopes, but also dangers and fears, feature prominently in public discussions. In this and the following three episodes, we will discuss the public arena, its democratic functions, and challenges introduced by digital media. This discussion is just getting started, so be prepared to leave with more questions than answers.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - The public arena
03:32 - The public arena defined
11:06 - The functions of the public arena for democracy
14:46 - Visibility and representation
17:22 - Group formation
18:52 - Problem solving
21:54 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/public_arena.html#the-public-arena]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/the-public-arena The public arena 00:22:40 Andreas Jungherr 1 18 full Democratic societies need spaces in which people and political elites become visible to each other, develop shared agendas, and settle on collectively binding decisions. These spaces are the public arena.]]> Digital Media, Public Arena, Öffentlichkeit, Democracy no no no no 82de57415d784036802abc2f98cb771a Challenges reexamined In this episode, we will focus on how digitally enabled challenges fail and how to assess their legitimacy and impact on democracy.]]> Thu, 30 Jun 2022 06:00:00 +0200 We have talked extensively about how digital media enable challenges to institutions. But of course this alone does not guarantee their success. Yes, digital media might help identify and document the weaknesses of institutions, their crises and conflicts. They might help challenges to form, being brought forward, and reach a broad public. But success of challenges is of course not determined by these opportunities alone. Instead, success relies on various context conditions and their specific structural embeddedness. 
 
The other question, we repeatedly ran into was how to assess challenges. As we have seen, some challenges might be judged as strengthening democracy and empowering people, while others might achieve the opposite. Now, how can we as researchers adress this question? Without of course attributing the challenges we happen to sympathize with strengthening effects and those we dislike detrimental effects. 
 
We will focus on these two questions in the final part of this episode.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:19 - Challenges reexamined
01:25 - How challenges fail
07:00 - How to judge the legitimacy of challenges?
13:09 - Understanding the role of digital media in the challenge to institutions
17:27 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/challenge.html#challenges-reexamined
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/challenges-reexamined Challenges reexamined 00:18:06 Andreas Jungherr 1 17 full In this episode, we will focus on how digitally enabled challenges fail and how to assess their legitimacy and impact on democracy.]]> Digital media, Challenge, Institutions, Success, Norms, Democracy no no no no 6385062b35584db2892194c9b83c189c Crisis, conflict, and the digital challenge to parties In this episode, we will focus on digitally enabled challenges to political parties.]]> Wed, 29 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0200 We see parties being challenged all over Western democracies. The analytical tools discussed above help us in charting and analyzing these challenges. These tools are: 
 
- crisis and conflict in intermediary institutions, and 
- emergence of new parties or factions within parties adapted to the new opportunities provided by lowered information and coordination costs. 
 
In this episode, we will apply these tools to better understand the challenge to parties.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:18 - Crisis, conflict, and the digital challenge to parties
00:49 - Signs of crisis and conflict of parties as institutions
07:49 - Challenge through information
14:02 - Challenge through coordination
19:47 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/challenge.html#crisis-conflict-and-the-digital-challenge-to-parties
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/crisis-conflict-and-the-digital-challenge-to-parties Crisis, conflict, and the digital challenge to parties 00:20:26 Andreas Jungherr 1 16 full In this episode, we will focus on digitally enabled challenges to political parties.]]> Digital media, challenges, institutions no no no no d9c8ddddf07e4403ab1bd7250ce40074 How do digital media drive the challenge of institutions? In this episode, we will focus on the mechanisms through wich digital media allow challenges to social institutions.]]> Wed, 22 Jun 2022 14:00:00 +0200 Democracies depend on structures that connect governments, political elites, and the public. They facilitate information flows between different actors and different societal levels in democracies. Institutions like political parties, interest groups, and the news media make publics visible to elites, elites visible to publics, and publics visible to each other. They enable information flows making visible or allowing for the social construction of concerns, grievances, and interests of publics to elites and governments, while making elites and governments visible and - within bounds - transparent to the public. In this function, they provide, aggregate, and filter information.

These institutions find themselves increasingly challenged by digital media enabled actors. In this episode, we discuss the mechanisms behind these challenges.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:20 - Intermediary institutions and the flow of information in democracies
09:52 - Lowered costs of information production, distribution, and access
14:50 - Lowered coordination costs
20:52 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/challenge.html#how-do-digital-media-drive-the-challenge-of-institutions]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/how-do-digital-media-drive-the-challenge-of-institutions How do digital media drive the challenge of institutions? 00:21:36 Andreas Jungherr 1 15 full In this episode, we will focus on the mechanisms through wich digital media allow challenges to social institutions.]]> Digital Media, Challenge, Institutions, Information Cost, Coordination Cost no no no no 5d0983e2d4154c64a7953135cec2baea Digital media and the challenge to institutions All over the world, we see people using digital media to question and challenge authorities, organizations, norms and behaviors they perceive as dysfunctional or unjust. Digital media are therefore an important element in the challenge of established social institutions, sometimes even enabling these challenges in the first place.]]> Tue, 21 Jun 2022 23:00:00 +0200 Some of these challenges are aimed at expanding social representation and strengthening democratic participation. We find examples of this in the use of digital media by social movements, such as Black Lives Matter in the US. Other challenges aim to restrict representation and participation, as the example of the use of digital media by various right-wing populist movements and parties shows. Digital media can therefore contribute to strengthening societies and democracies as well as to weakening them. 
 
In this chapter, we will discuss this role of digital media in politics and society in detail.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:19 - Digital media and the challenge to institutions
01:23 - What are institutions and what do they do?
13:30 - Digital media as staging area for challenges to institutions
21:28 - Conclusion

Script:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/challenge.html
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/digital-media-and-the-challenge-to-institutions Digital media and the challenge to institutions 00:22:09 Andreas Jungherr 1 14 full All over the world, we see people using digital media to question and challenge authorities, organizations, norms and behaviors they perceive as dysfunctional or unjust. Digital media are therefore an important element in the challenge of established social institutions, sometimes even enabling these challenges in the first place.]]> Digital Media, Challengers, Institutions no no no no 97f3d5d5defd4ad2a3b4465d22a61e60 Data and algorithms in journalism In this episode, we will be looking at how the uses of data and algorithms change journalism.]]> Thu, 02 Jun 2022 07:30:00 +0200 Another field heavily impacted by the uses of data and algorithms is journalism. Journalists and editors see themselves facing new opportunities for the measurement of the success and reach of their pieces with audiences by counting clicks on their sites and interaction metrics provided to them by platform companies used by them to steer audiences to news pieces. Algorithms also play a role in the way people are steered toward journalistic content. By the increasing dependency on digital platforms - like Facebook, Instagram, or Google - news media are subject to the algorithms these platforms use to prioritize or de-prioritize journalistic pieces. Accordingly, figuring out the mechanisms behind these algorithms and adapting one's pieces accordingly may come to matter. Finally, and potentially most disruptively, algorithms are increasingly used to produce journalistic pieces automatically, raising fears about the future of journalism as an occupation. Journalism offers a promising window into the field-specific impact and transformations driven by the increasing availability and uses of data and algorithms.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:18 - Data and algorithms in journalism
08:36 - The use and perception of metrics in newsrooms
18:27 - Effects of metrics on audiences
22:40 - Uses and effects of data and algorithms in politics and society
25:55 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/data-algos/data-algos_section4.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/data-and-algorithms-in-journalism Data and algorithms in journalism 00:26:35 Andreas Jungherr 1 13 full In this episode, we will be looking at how the uses of data and algorithms change journalism.]]> Digital Media, Social Science, Data, Algorithms, Measurement, Metrics, Control, Journalism no no no no 0c9cbfc21a44474bae57a2c863bf662a Data and algorithms in political campaigning In this episode, we will be looking at how the uses of data and algorithms change political campaigning.]]> Wed, 01 Jun 2022 09:30:00 +0200 One area in politics where we find pervasive uses of data and algorithms are political campaigns. Campaigners, candidates, and campaign organizations use data to see the electorate, populations of interest, and their volunteers. They use metrics to monitor their progress and measure their success. They sometimes even use algorithms in order to identify who to talk to and how to best approach them. While data and quantification play an increasing role in international campaigns, their use and contribution in campaigns in the USA is most pronounced and merits specific attention if we want to understand the principles of their use and effects.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:20 - The uses and effects of data and algorithms in political campaigns
09:16 - How to keep volunteers engaged?
14:31 - How can we learn about the use of data an algorithms in campaigns?
20:39 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/data-algos/data-algos_section3.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/data-and-algorithms-in-political-campaigning Data and algorithms in political campaigning 00:21:17 Andreas Jungherr 1 12 full In this episode, we will be looking at how the uses of data and algorithms change political campaigning.]]> Digital Media, Social Science, Data, Politics, Algorithms, Measurement, Metrics, Elections, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Campaigning, Campaigns no no no no 4fd9b3094ce04630bfd47e48cf314bc8 Algorithms in politics and society In this episode, we will talk about algorithms, what they are, how they work, and concerns they create once applied broadly and in scale across society.]]> Tue, 31 May 2022 14:00:00 +0200 A computer algorithm provides a computationally executable series of steps with the goal of solving a given task or problem. Algorithms are shaping people's option spaces in various areas of social life. This has given rise to broad concerns that are part of public debate but also of academic research. Concerns focus on the opaqueness of the uses of algorithms, their inner workings, and their effects; the fairness of their outcomes; and fears of unintended consequences once algorithms are rolled out in scale. This makes algorithms, their uses, mechanisms, and effects a prominent topic for social scientists engaged in understanding the use of digital technology in society.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:21 - Algorithms
10:57 - Concerns
11:48 - Opaqueness
15:34 - Fairness
19:38 - Unintended consequences
24:26 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/data-algos/data-algos_section2.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/algorithms-in-politics-and-society Algorithms in politics and society 00:25:00 Andreas Jungherr 1 11 full In this episode, we will talk about algorithms, what they are, how they work, and concerns they create once applied broadly and in scale across society.]]> Digital Media, Artificial Intelligence, AI, Social Science, Inequality, Data, Politics, Control, Algorithms, Biases, Fairness, Predictive Policing, High Frequency Trading, Algorithmic Trading no no no no aea57424cb304790a739d175cb6330db Data: Measurement, quantification, and control In this and the following episodes, we will be talking about data and algorithms with a special focus on their uses in and effects on politics. In this episode, we start with data.]]> Mon, 30 May 2022 22:00:00 +0200 Data collected with and on digital devices make new phenomena, objects, and behaviors visible to those with access to that data. Digital technology has extended the amount and depth of data on human behavior and social systems. This has been seen by some as a measurement revolution for the social sciences and as providing many new avenues to knowledge as well as new business opportunities. Still, these data riches have to be translated into meaningful measures of phenomena of interest and society. Without meaningful interpretation these new data remain noise machines, potentially even hiding the signal one is looking for in order to gain understanding or improvement.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:21 - Data and algorithms in society
04:17 - Data and measurement
08:37 - Big data
14:10 - Data and control
19:46 - Metrics
24:53 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/data-algos/data-algos_intro.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/data-measurement-quantification-and-control Data: Measurement, quantification, and control 00:25:29 Andreas Jungherr 1 10 full In this and the following episodes, we will be talking about data and algorithms with a special focus on their uses in and effects on politics. In this episode, we start with data.]]> Computational Social Science, Social Science, Digital Media, Data, Big Data, Data Science, Control, Metrics, Measurement no no no no d44da835aeec4fe39539a3c082e07db4 The impact of artificial intelligence on equality and the competition between autocracies and democracies We continue our discussion about artificial intelligence and its impact on democracy. In this episode, we focus on AI's impact on equality and the competition between societies, some democratic, some not.]]> Sun, 15 May 2022 11:00:00 +0200 Can we still meaningfully speak of equality of rights and representation among people, if AI-based systems discriminate against minorities or the underprivileged? How do the known biases inherent in AI systems translate to democratic politics? 
 
Even more fundamentally, what does equality even mean when AI contributes to massive power imbalances between the companies running and developing AI and everyone else, including the government? 
 
To some commentators AI might also provide an opportunity for autocracies to get a leg up on democracies in the detection and solution to societal and political challenges. Traditionally, democracies were seen to be better at soliciting information about the state of their societies or the effects of interventions compared to autocracies. This information benefit was seen as one reason for democracies being able to outperform autocracies. AI might offset this benefit and allow autocracies to pass democracies by.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:29 - Artificial intelligence and equality
08:31 - Artificial intelligence and power shifts between societies
17:53 - Artificial intelligence and democracy: The road ahead
23:38 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/ai/ai_section3.html
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-equality-and-the-competition-between-autocracies-and-democracies The impact of artificial intelligence on equality and the competition between autocracies and democracies 00:24:24 Andreas Jungherr 1 9 full We continue our discussion about artificial intelligence and its impact on democracy. In this episode, we focus on AI's impact on equality and the competition between societies, some democratic, some not.]]> AI, Artificial Intelligence, Equality, China, Social Credit System, Autocracies, Inequality, Democracy no no no no 93d5f9312be143c084f2c1b8825d4c95 The impact of artificial intelligence on elections and people's informational autonomy In this and the following episode, we will be talking about artificial intelligence and its impact on democracy. In this episode, we will start by discussing AI's role in elections and its impact on people's informational autonomy.]]> Fri, 13 May 2022 11:00:00 +0200 AI raises questions with regard to the integrity of elections as an adjudication process for the conflict between political factions. In the age of the perceived predictability of people's political attitudes and behavior, can there be free and fair elections in which each faction conceivably might rise to power?

Is it still plausible that people are able to make political and societal decisions? For one, are information environments shaped by artificial intelligence based on the preferences of people still adequate to the task of creating informed publics able to form political opinions according to their interests? Going further, are scenarios provided by AI to experts about the future of complex issues not better decision makers than the people following their passions and their interests? How does democratic decision making hold up against this new environment.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
04:46 - Artificial intelligence and elections
14:09 - Artificial intelligence and people's informational autonomy
15:45 - Free expression
19:02 - Access to information
21:28 - Manipulation
23:30 - Expert rule
26:49 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/ai/ai_section3.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-elections-and-people-s-informational-autonomy The impact of artificial intelligence on elections and people's informational autonomy 00:27:42 Andreas Jungherr 1 8 full In this and the following episode, we will be talking about artificial intelligence and its impact on democracy. In this episode, we will start by discussing AI's role in elections and its impact on people's informational autonomy.]]> Artificial Intelligence, AI, Democracy, Elections, Free Expression, Information Access, Experts, Filter Bubbles, Manipulation no no no no b70ced5811504008afb7f46949ad4375 Conditions for the successful application of artificial intelligence In this episode, we will be talking about the conditions for the successful application of artificial intelligence across different areas.]]> Wed, 11 May 2022 21:00:00 +0200 Going forward, we will be focusing on the uses and effects of narrow AI on politics and democracy. To do so, we first need to figure out what it is exactly that AI changes in these areas. In other words, what is AI good at? What becomes cheaper or easier to do? And, for which types of problems does this work?

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:56 - Predictions
08:08 - Machine readable
11:30 - Abundant outcomes
15:45 - Stability over time
19:58 - Reinforcing structural inequalities
23:55 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/ai/ai_section2.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/conditions-for-the-successful-application-of-artificial-intelligence Conditions for the successful application of artificial intelligence 00:24:34 Andreas Jungherr 1 7 full In this episode, we will be talking about the conditions for the successful application of artificial intelligence across different areas.]]> Artificial Intelligence, AI, Prediction, Inequality no no no no fbe77d3bf82940e39a5ca555b8035344 Artificial intelligence and democracy We encounter AIs daily, be it in the voice assistants in our homes and phones, through automation in our workplace, or as the drivers of policing or credit decisions. In this and the following episodes, we focus on the impact of AI on democracy.]]> Tue, 10 May 2022 09:00:00 +0200 AI is a largely invisible feature of our daily lives with clear consequences for us as citizens and consumers. Examining the workings and real-world consequences of actually existing artificial intelligence is important. To do so, we first start with a discussion of what artificial intellence is and is not.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:21 - Artificial intelligence and democracy
04:52 - What is artificial intelligence?
12:46 - Narrow artificial intelligence versus artificial general intelligence
24:51 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/docs/ai/ai_intro.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/artificial-intelligence-and-democracy Artificial intelligence and democracy 00:25:32 Andreas Jungherr 1 6 full We encounter AIs daily, be it in the voice assistants in our homes and phones, through automation in our workplace, or as the drivers of policing or credit decisions. In this and the following episodes, we focus on the impact of AI on democracy.]]> Artificial Intelligence, Democracy, Narrow AI, AI, General Artificial Intelligence no no no no 6dbcd413d762481ab5abef1129656928 Digital trace data: Typical approaches in computational social science 2 In computational social science there are great hopes and enthusiasms connected with the availability of new data sources. In this episode, we will be talking about working with one of these new data sources: digital trace data.]]> Sun, 08 May 2022 13:00:00 +0200 Once people interact with digital devices (such as smart phones and smart devices) and services (such as Facebook or Twitter), their digitally mediated interactions leave traces on devices and services. Some of those are discarded, some are stored. Some are available only to the device maker or service provider, some are available to researchers. This last category of digital trace data, those that are stored and available to researchers, has spawned a lot of research activity and enthusiasm over a new measurement revolution in the social sciences. But somewhat more than ten years into this "revolution", the limits of digital trace data for social science research are becoming just as clear as their promises. Before we look at studies using digital trace data, it is therefore necessary that we look a little more closely at what they are, what characteristics they share, and how this impacts scientific work with them.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:18 - Digital trace data
12:11 - Digital trace data in political science
15:42 - Making sense of online censorship decisions
21:24 - It's attention, not support!
30:03 - Learning about the world with computational social science
33:49 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/css.html#digital-trace-data-typical-approaches-in-computational-social-science-2]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/digital-trace-data-typical-approaches-in-computational-social-science-2 Digital trace data: Typical approaches in computational social science 2 00:34:35 Andreas Jungherr 1 5 full In computational social science there are great hopes and enthusiasms connected with the availability of new data sources. In this episode, we will be talking about working with one of these new data sources: digital trace data.]]> Computational Social Science, Digital Trace Data, Text Analysis, Social Science, Methods no no no no c5ffbda0aec8495e8a5594ee3347cba3 Text analysis: Typical approaches in computational social science 1 Text analysis is a prominently used approach from computational social science. In this episode, we examine three recent studies closely, that are using text analysis in interesting and constructive ways.]]> Fri, 06 May 2022 18:00:00 +0200 Text is a rich medium reflecting cultural and political concepts, ideas, agendas, tactics, events, and power structures of the time. Large text corpora open windows and allow comparisons across countries, cultures, and time. Different types of text contain representations of different slices of culture, politics, and social life. They therefor are of interest to various subfields in the social sciences and humanities. By collecting and preparing for analysis large text corpora scholars can access and make available vast troves of knowledge on various questions and in different subfields. The tremendous collective efforts in digitizing and making available text corpora are a massive accelerating factor in this effort. Let's have a closer look.

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
00:22 - Text analysis in political science
05:43 - Making sense of party competition during the 2015 refugee crisis with a bag of words
11:51 - Who lives in the past, the present, or the future? A supervised learning approach
15:48 - Political innovation in the French Revolution
22:15 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/css.html#text-analysis-typical-approaches-in-computational-social-science-1]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/text-analysis-typical-approaches-in-computational-social-science-1 Text analysis: Typical approaches in computational social science 1 00:22:50 Andreas Jungherr 1 4 full Text analysis is a prominently used approach from computational social science. In this episode, we examine three recent studies closely, that are using text analysis in interesting and constructive ways.]]> Text Analysis, Computational Social Science, Methods, Press Releases, Party Manifestos, Parliamentary Speeches no no no no 24eb9dc68de448febd47a3853578b282 The computational social science project pipeline Our discussion of computational social science and its promises and challenges has remained rather abstract. It is time to turn to CSS as a practice. For this, let's have a look at the typical CSS project pipeline.]]> Wed, 04 May 2022 16:00:00 +0200 While CSS projects come in a stunning variety of data sets used, methods employed, and questions asked, more often than not, these projects share a pipeline of tasks, problems, and decisions that is typical for CSS. Examining this pipeline allows us to think about engaging in CSS as a practice, while at the same time providing you with a blueprint for potential research projects that might lie in your future. 

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction
01:25 - Research design
05:38 - Data collection
08:41 - Data preparation
10:00 - Linking signals in data to phenomena of interest
12:30 - Data analysis 
16:33 - Presentation
21:33 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/css.html#the-computational-social-science-project-pipeline
]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/the-computational-social-science-project-pipeline The computational social science project pipeline 00:22:22 Andreas Jungherr 1 3 full Our discussion of computational social science and its promises and challenges has remained rather abstract. It is time to turn to CSS as a practice. For this, let's have a look at the typical CSS project pipeline.]]> Digital Trace Data, Computational Social Science, Research, Methods no no no no 9252fc57516c4d6daec8ced0453212e5 What is Computational Social Science? Computational social science (CSS) is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies human behavior and social systems using computational methods and research practices. In this episode, we will discuss CSS, what makes it different from other approaches in the social sciences, and attempt a definition.]]> Mon, 02 May 2022 20:00:00 +0200 Computational social science (CSS) is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies human behavior and social systems using computational methods and research practices. This includes developing and testing theoretical assumptions but also the systematic description of the behavior of people, organizations, institutions and complex socio-technical systems. A defining characteristic of CSS is the close interdisciplinary cooperation between social sciences, computer science, and natural sciences. Different research fields complement each other in the investigation of social phenomena and processes through their different perspectives and core competencies. The aim of CSS is both to understand new social phenomena triggered by digitization and to develop new perspectives on traditional research interests in social science. Both endeavors are significantly shaped by the use of new data sets and analytical methods made available through digital technology.

In this episode, we will be laying some foundations for using CSS to better understand the impact of digital media on politics and society. We will discuss what the term computational social science means, what makes it different from other approaches in the social sciences, and try our hands at a definition.

Chapters:

00:00:00 - Introduction
00:02:31 - The promise of computational social science
00:12:27 - Computational social science: A definition
00:21:20 - Conclusion

Script to episode with references and further readings:

http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/css.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/what-is-computational-social-science What is Computational Social Science? 00:22:01 Andreas Jungherr 1 2 full Computational social science (CSS) is an interdisciplinary scientific field that studies human behavior and social systems using computational methods and research practices. In this episode, we will discuss CSS, what makes it different from other approaches in the social sciences, and attempt a definition.]]> Social Science, Computational Social Science, Data, Digital Trace Data no no no no 6dc3db9786d948c98b595d6cabd55895 Digital media in politics and society The goal of this lecture series is to help you to make sense of digital media, the changes it brings, and the challenges it presents. In order to do so, we look at some of the biggest controversies about the uses of digital media in politics and society. We look beyond the headlines and see what kind of scientific evidence is available, how this evidence is produced, and what it does tell us about the role of digital media in politics and society. This podcast will introduce you to the best available evidence on ongoing controversies, enable you to ask better questions on the role of digital media in politics and society, and show you the tools that allow you to answer them. Digital media are hear to stay. No matter how much some people might wish, there is no way back to a time and politics before. So, we'd better start figuring out how this works.]]> Wed, 27 Apr 2022 17:00:00 +0200 Introduction - Defining digital media - Characteristics of digital media - Digitization and Digitalization - Lowered information costs - Interactivity - Networks - A (very) brief history of digital media - Cultures - Housekeeping - Coda

Script to episode with references and further readings: http://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/intro.html]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/digital-media-in-politics-and-society Digital media in politics and society 00:33:53 Andreas Jungherr 1 1 full The goal of this lecture series is to help you to make sense of digital media, the changes it brings, and the challenges it presents. In order to do so, we look at some of the biggest controversies about the uses of digital media in politics and society. We look beyond the headlines and see what kind of scientific evidence is available, how this evidence is produced, and what it does tell us about the role of digital media in politics and society. This podcast will introduce you to the best available evidence on ongoing controversies, enable you to ask better questions on the role of digital media in politics and society, and show you the tools that allow you to answer them. Digital media are hear to stay. No matter how much some people might wish, there is no way back to a time and politics before. So, we'd better start figuring out how this works.]]> Digital Media, Politics no no no no 6e4b73ba0da84eb38f91222b313bff85 Trailer: Tech and Politics Trailer for Tech & Politics, the podcast of the Chair for Governance of Complex and Innovative Technological Systems at the University of Bamberg.]]> Tue, 12 Apr 2022 18:00:00 +0200 Website for podcast with episode scripts, references, and further readings:

https://digitalmedia.andreasjungherr.de/]]> https://tech-and-politics.letscast.fm/episode/trailer-tech-and-politics Trailer: Tech and Politics Trailer 00:02:41 Andreas Jungherr 1 trailer Trailer for Tech & Politics, the podcast of the Chair for Governance of Complex and Innovative Technological Systems at the University of Bamberg.]]> Trailer, Politics, Digital Media no no no no