(In)Visible Media: Connection and Crisis in Contemporary Japan

Whether partnering with policymakers to create new Internet regulations or following breaking news from 'Black Twitter', media practitioners are consistently faced with both the explicit and not-so-obvious relationship between race and technology. Studying race online can often seem like a daunting task, however, or worse, a task only for those on the margins. Fortunately, Black communities have long showcased the potentials of media technologies toward resistance, joy, and longevity, creating a path forward for the study of race online. Like evergreen content-or a story that never goes stale-Black content creators have crafted and maintained 'evergreen' networks, which this class uses as a praxis that centers marginalized experiences in the study of race online. Students will learn how to study race, from gathering tweets around particular discursive formations to using methods such as algorithm audits to analyze big data. We will ground our analyses from an interdisciplinary and critical cultural perspective, drawing from scholarship in film and media studies, cultural and communication studies, information studies, and media history. Importantly, students will be exposed to some of the longstanding issues that might arise from the study of race online, such as surveillance, essentialism, and exploitation. Ultimately, students will have the practical and ethical skills needed to address some of the most complex questions regarding race and technology across an array of media industries, from software development and journalism to policy making and film writing.

Course Attributes: EN H; BU Hum; AS HUM; FA HUM; AR HUM

(In)Visible Media: Connection and Crisis in Contemporary Japan

FILM AND MEDIA STUDIES 479

Section 01