[liberationtech] JOB: Media Manipulation lead at Data & Society

[danah boyd]

Can y’all help me find the right candidate for this job at Data & Society? This 
position does not require a PhD, but it does require skills at people wrangling 
and project management, as well as an eye for identifying the important 
research puzzles. Any suggestions would be *greatly* appreciated!  And feel 
free to forward along as you see fit.

danah




JOB: Media Manipulation Research Project Lead (Apply by April 3)

https://datasociety.net/blog/jobs/project-lead-media-manipulation/ 


Data & Society Research Institute is seeking a dynamic and expert individual to 
manage our research and intervention efforts on a project focused on the role 
of technology in the manipulation of institutions and information 
intermediaries. This position is based out of our New York City office, and 
starts immediately.

Manipulation Project: Understanding How Systems are Gamed

While technologies are often created with the best of intentions, they are 
often used in ways that dismay their creators. As data-driven and social 
technologies – and the companies that produce them – become more powerful, so 
do the individuals and groups attempting to undermine or manipulate tech to 
advance other agendas. From cybersecurity to spam and search engine 
optimization to the manipulation of mainstream media, we must confront the 
weaknesses and fault lines that appear in a technology and data-driven society.

At Data & Society, the Manipulation Project seeks to understand the mechanisms 
by which adversarial attacks on institutions and information intermediaries 
wreak havoc on countless systems, undermine trust in society, and destroy key 
mechanisms of social infrastructure– and the subsequent socio-technical 
implications. Conversations about topics like “fake news” or AI-powered bots 
fail to account for how and why systems can easily be gamed. This project aims 
to cut through the hype around these issues, and understand vulnerabilities in 
socio-technical systems that go beyond security and privacy. How can systems be 
manipulated? And what are the implications of that kind of manipulation?

About the Manipulation Project Lead

You know how to manage a team of researchers working on multiple trajectories 
and implement project management practices that lead to successful outcomes. 
You enjoy thinking strategically about what is needed for research to be 
useful, relevant, and accessible, and are adept at deploying resources 
effectively to achieve these ends. You are analytical and skilled at spotting 
connections across bodies of research, as well as understanding the real-world 
implications and possibilities emerging from research findings. You are 
comfortable with research from a variety of traditions including qualitative, 
field research, ethnographic and survey methods.

You have a contrarian mindset and know how to question the assumptions and 
frameworks presented to you. You believe in the importance of evidence and 
data, but also have an appreciation for why people might be incentivized to 
manipulate data-driven systems or use technical tools to achieve ideological, 
economic, or personal goals. The idea of better understanding and broadly 
communicating conflicting perspectives on controversial topics greatly appeals 
to you, and you have experience using research in ways that may take 
discussants into uncomfortable socio-political terrain. You believe that 
understanding all sides of a seemingly one-sided situation is crucial for 
devising solutions. You have no problem challenging sacred cows and enjoy 
shifting frames to help drive a conversation in more productive directions.

You are excited about the possibility of helping bring knowledge to bear in 
high-stakes conversations, and coordinating and managing D’s research on 
these topics.

Responsibilities will include:

Daily management of a team of 4-5 researchers, including oversight of 
workplans, project schedule, deliverables, and project budget.
Develop overall research project strategy in collaboration with Data & Society 
leadership
Coordinate a network of ~20 scholars, journalists, and researchers to 
strategically share insights, data, and frames.
Manage team resources proactively, identifying new staffing needs as necessary.
Develop and own the process of providing regular written and verbal briefings 
to key stakeholders in civil society, media, and industry.
Build and maintain a map of academic and advocacy work happening within and 
beyond the D network on these issues, and track the arguments and discussions 
taking place in various venues.
Work closely with our research, programs, and communications teams to ensure 
that our research is being strengthened through engagement with stakeholders, 
and disseminated in appropriate formats to key decision-makers.
Develop a trusting relationship with scholars, knowing when to shine a 
spotlight on them and their work 

[liberationtech] Fwd: [p...@eff.org: EFF Call for sign-ons: ISPs, networking companies and engineers opposed to FCC privacy repeal] -- time sensitive

[Rich Kulawiec]

[ This was sent to NANOG, but many of you are also in the target groups.
Please note that the deadline is today. ---rsk ]

- Forwarded message from Peter Eckersley  -

> Date: Sun, 26 Mar 2017 16:05:34 -0700
> From: Peter Eckersley 
> To: na...@nanog.org
> Subject: EFF Call for sign-ons: ISPs, networking companies and engineers
>   opposed to FCC privacy repeal
> 
> Dear network operators,
> 
> I'm sure this is a controversial topic in the NANOG community, but EFF and a
> number of ISPs and networking companies are writing to Congress opposing the
> repeal of the FCC's broadband privacy rules, which require explicit opt-in
> consent before ISPs use or sell sensitive, non-anonymized data (including
> non-anonymized locations and browsing histories).
> 
> If you or your employer would like to sign on to such a letter, please reply
> off-list by midday Monday with your name, and a one-sentence description of
> your affiliation and/or major career accomplishments. 
> 
> Back story on what's happening:
> 
> https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/03/five-creepy-things-your-isp-could-do-if-congress-repeals-fccs-privacy-protections
> https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/03/senate-puts-isp-profits-over-your-privacy
> https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2017/02/congress-contemplating-making-it-illegal-protect-consumer-privacy-online
> 
> Summary of the FCC Broadband Privacy Rules themselves:
> 
> https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-16-148A1.pdf
> 
> -- 
> Peter Eckersleyp...@eff.org
> Chief Computer Scientist  Tel  +1 415 436 9333 x131
> Electronic Frontier FoundationFax  +1 415 436 9993

- End forwarded message -
-- 
Liberationtech is public & archives are searchable on Google. Violations of 
list guidelines will get you moderated: 
https://mailman.stanford.edu/mailman/listinfo/liberationtech. Unsubscribe, 
change to digest, or change password by emailing moderator at 
compa...@stanford.edu.