Dialogues on Digital Society

We have been overwhelmed by the response to our CFP for the SI on Authoritarianism in the Digital Age with over 170 abstracts - although perhaps this is mostly a sad indictment on the state of the world. Thanks to all those who submitted such interesting and complex proposals. We will be in touch.

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Submission to our special issue on Authoritarianism in the Digital Age close tomorrow. Get your proposal in! More details here: journals.sagepub.com/page/dds/cal...

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Don't forget to get your abstracts in for our special edition of <2,000 word commentaries on authoritarianism in the digital age. Deadline is the end of the week. journals.sagepub.com/page/dds/cal...

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Just over a week to get your abstracts in for the special issue exploring the role of the digital in authoritarian politics, movements, and governance. Use your commentary of <2,000 words to document, critique, & catalyse dialogue about this important topic. journals.sagepub.com/page/dds/cal...

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Just a reminder about our special issue of <2,000 word commentaries reflecting on and documenting the role of the digital in authoritarian politics and regimes. Send in an abstract before May 16. Follow the link for details. journals.sagepub.com/page/dds/cal... #authoritarianism #cfp

Algorithmic Gatewatching and Its Implications Axel Bruns Digital Media Research Centre, Queensland University of Technology This response to the article ‘Conceptualising the “Algorithmic Public Opinion”: Public Opinion Formation in the Digital Age’ by Alessandro Gandini, Silvia Keeling, and Urbano Reviglio considers the concept of algorithmic public opinion and highlights that while the algorithms of digital and social media platforms and associated information and communication infrastructures now exert a substantial influence on how public opinion formation unfolds (the process) and what public opinion patterns emerge as a result (the product), these algorithms are by no means the sole determinant of process and product. It argues instead that the ordinary users of these platforms – and they are active users of these communicative spaces, not just passive ‘audiences’ for the communicative efforts of others – retain significantly more agency than this article’s discussion affords them.

🖨️ I've had the pleasure of responding to an insightful article in Dialogues on Digital Society that considers the role of algorithms in public opinion formation. The journal actively invites scholarly commentary on its articles – a somewhat unusual format for me.

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Don't forget to submit a proposal to our special issue of commentaries (<2000 words) on the role of the digital in authoritarian governments and movements. More details here: journals.sagepub.com/page/dds/cal...

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And here is a more shareable link from the DDS website: journals.sagepub.com/page/dds/cal...

We hope to use this edition to document this role and to generate further dialogue on this crucial dimension of our digital age. Please submit and share.

SI CFP: Recent events have highlighted the role of the digital in the authoritarian movements, politics and governance. DDS is commissioning a series of short commentaries (up to 2000 words) exploring the digital contours of authoritarianism. See CFP for details drive.google.com/file/d/1VbW5...

Thanks to all the contributors, reviewers, and the editorial and production teams who have made this first edition possible. We look forward to publishing the next in a few months. 7/7

Furthering the agenda of algorithmic resistance: Integrating gender and decolonial perspectives - Tiziano Bonini, Emiliano Treré, 2025 Not only are books written from positions that are never neutral, but they are also read from positions which are also never neutral. The three commentaries we ...

And we conclude with reviews of Algorithms of Resistance by @tbonini.bsky.social and @emilianotrere.com followed by the authors' response engaging with these diverse readings of their work... journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.... 6/7

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The articles are followed by two book/culture review forums. The first offers reviews of Josie Williams' exhibition Eye to Eye at Stony Brook Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery and a response by Williams herself... 5/7

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Commentaries on this article engage with, expand, and critique the article's position, further complicating the novel agenda it brings to research into digital societies. This is complemented by a response from Datta and Hoefsloot continuing this dialogue.... 4/7

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These are followed by the first article by @ayonadatta.bsky.social and @fennaimara.bsky.social advocating for consideration of time and timing for understanding statecraft in Kenya's Silicon Savannah journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.... 3/7

followed by commentaries from a range of Editorial Board members approaching the question of how the digital has transformed the world from their unique disciplinary and geographic perspectives.... 2/7

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The first edition of Dialogues on Digital Society is out at last. It features an editorial by the Editorial team, @kylzjarrett.bsky.social, @robkitchin.bsky.social, @pinkydigital.bsky.social, Jing Hiah, and @steelecat717.bsky.social .... 1/7 #DDS @journals.sagepub.com
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The last bit of the Algocount journey is finally here! Our article on the conceptualisation of an "algorithmic public opinion" is now published on the new, fantastic journal 'Dialogues on Digital Society'. You can read it here: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Timing the state - Ayona Datta, Fenna Imara Hoefsloot, 2025 We wish to express our gratitude to the interlocutors for their considered and thoughtful commentaries on our article. They invoke new questions around the powe...

📣 Pleased to announce response paper with @fennaimara.bsky.social out on @dialoguesdigsoc.bsky.social responding to brilliant commentaries by @andretwp.bsky.social Jack Odeo @jpaddie.bsky.social @xazaaradjame.bsky.social @princeguma.bsky.social Nancy Odendaal.

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reminder: submissions for #AoIR2025 are due on 1 March, this Saturday!

🚨Submissions for #AoIR2025: Ruptures are DUE 1 MARCH (this Saturday)!🚨

Submission information: aoir.org/aoir2025/aoi...

Call for Proposal: aoir.org/aoir2025/aoi...

Submit here: www.conftool.org/aoir2025

"State as Auteur" is an incisive, provocative paper. I had the exciting opportunity to engage @ayonadatta.bsky.social and @fennaimara.bsky.social's argument in @dialoguesdigsoc.bsky.social and my commentary, "Time and the State in Digital Society", is out now:
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Commentaries on the article by a range of contributors and an author response to those interventions still to come.

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New - if not first - article in Dialogues on Digital Society: "State as Auteur" by @ayonadatta.bsky.social and @fennaimara.bsky.social exploring timing - the synchronising of disparate events - as a mechanism of state craft in Kenya's digital transformations. doi.org/10.1177/2976...

Do consider submitting your paper describing a new research agenda to Dialogues on Digital Society. Contact Kylie Jarrett @kylzjarrett.bsky.social if you want to talk about your ideas 10/10

There are a few more commentaries to come in this editorial forum but this sample showcases the diversity of perspectives and disciplines we want to capture in DDS and also how we use the commentaries to generate dialogues.  9/10

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And finally, Ben Williamson @benpatrickwill.bsky.social takes on the challenges posed by digitalisation to the principles and practices of higher education. 8/10 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

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Challenging this agenda, Raquel Recuero explores the violence of online discourse, advocating for a stronger research agenda to address its impact 7/10
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Payal Arora also brings a view from the global south, advocating an optimistic approach to the potential for positive change that the digital might bring 6/10 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

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Job Mwaura also engages with place as he looks at what is required to effect a digital transformation in the African continent 5/10 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

Digitalisation has altered our world: A geographical perspective - Sophia Maalsen, 2024 In this short commentary, I respond to the provocation that digitalisation has altered our world. I do so from primarily a geographical perspective – one of the...

The impact of digitalisation on space and place is explored by Sophia Maalsen @sophiamaalsen.bsky.social from the perspective of Geography 4/10 journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....