Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Data-Driven Public Diplomacy: A Critical And Reflexive Assessment, Hamilton Bean, Edward Comor

FIMS Publications

This essay presents a critical and reflexive assessment of contemporary efforts

to innovate the measurement and evaluation of public diplomacy. Analyzing a

recent and pivotal report called “Data-Driven Public Diplomacy,” it explains

how the institutional and ideological residue of the Cold War underwrites

these initiatives in the context of American activities in its contemporary “War

on Terror.” Inspired by Marx’s concept of the fetish—n under-represented

conceptual approach to public diplomacy research—he authors critique

the thinking of public diplomacy scholars and officials, arguing that both an

omnipresent past and a powerful form of technological fetishism are discernible

in the “Data-Driven Public …

Journalistic Labour And Technological Fetishism, Edward Comor, James R. Compton

FIMS Publications

Abstract This article applies Marx’s concept of the fetish generally and technological fetishism specifically to how digital ICTs are influencing the craft of journalism. A theoretical analysis of technological fetishism is linked to the findings of a 2013 survey among Canadian journalistic workers. These workers are found to hold mixed and often contradictory views on how digital technologies are shaping their work and profession. We understand ICTs as constitutive of journalism and as a technological fetish which mediates its development. In this context, the survey respondents are not ‘wrong’ to recognize that digital technologies seem to possess inherent powers. Because …

Journalistic Labour And Technological Fetishism, Edward Comor, James R. Compton

FIMS Publications

This paper applies and develops Marx’s concept of the fetish generally and technological fetishism specifically to how digital ICTs are influencing the craft of journalism. Although largely theoretical, its analysis of technological fetishism is applied to the findings of a survey conducted in 2013 among Canadian journalistic workers. The paper finds that these workers hold mixed and often contradictory views on how digital technologies are shaping their work and profession. By understanding ICTs to be both constitutive of journalism and, more precisely, the technological fetish as a mediating force in its development, the paper argues that the survey respondents are …