Abstract

A roundtable discussion convened by Cambridge Digital Humanities Network, the Cambridge Media Reading Group and Cambridge Big Data

2-4pm, Thursday 30 October, SG2 , Alison Richard Building

The production and consumption of ‘Big Data’ underlie many key aspects of media in contemporary society. At the same time, ‘big’ as well as ‘small’ media are contributing to a symbiosis between communication and Big Data that is rapidly scaling new frontiers. Advertising has been reshaped by the ubiquitous collection of personal data from digital services and devices. Analytics from websites and social media platforms influence editorial decision-making. The rise of online self-publishing and the rapid diffusion of easily-mastered digital content production and editing tools has blurred the line separating media producers and consumers, while in turn adding to the Big Data deluge.

This roundtable will explore the reflexive impact of Big Data on how we theorize the media, and vice versa. Our panelists will consider what concepts such as network, communication and medium mean in the Big Data era, and their new roles in defining community and the public sphere.

Speakers: Wendy Pullan (Architecture) John Naughton (CRASSH, Wolfson), Sharath Srinivasan (POLIS)