- Bangor University, Wales, UK
Vian Bakir
Bangor University, History, Law & Social Sciences, Faculty Member
- Bangor University, Creative Studies and Media, Faculty MemberBangor University, Music & Media, Faculty Memberadd
- Propaganda, Public and Political Communication, Digital Media, Media and Cultural Studies, Public Diplomacy, PR and Advertising, and 37 moreInternational Communication, Health Communication, Political Economy of Communication, Crisis communication and management, Issues Management, Environmental Communication, Media Studies, Social Media, Data Mining, Business Ethics, Public Relations, Political communication, Television Studies, Privacy, News Analysis, Trust, Risk communication, Online Advertising, Agenda Setting, Environmental Issues, Television News, Media/ News Print Analysis: War in Iraq reporting, Greenpeace, Saddam Hussein, Sousveillance, Royal Dutch-Shell, New Media, Globalization, Facebook, Constructivism, Internet & Society, Cosmopolitanism, Mediation, Civil Society, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Fake News, and Disinformationedit
- Professor of Political Communication & Journalismedit
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This book provides a definitive overview of the relationships of influence between civil society and intelligence elites. The secrecy surrounding intelligence means that publication of intelligence is highly restricted, barring... more
This book provides a definitive overview of the relationships of influence between civil society and intelligence elites.
The secrecy surrounding intelligence means that publication of intelligence is highly restricted, barring occasional whistle-blowing and sanitised official leaks. These characteristics mean that intelligence, if publicised, can be highly manipulated by intelligence elites, while civil society’s ability to assess and verify claims is compromised by absence of independent evidence. There are few studies on the relationship between civil society and intelligence elites, which makes it hard to form robust assessments or practical recommendations regarding public oversight of intelligence elites. Addressing that lacuna, this book analyses two case studies of global political significance. The intelligence practices they focus on (contemporary mass surveillance and Bush-era torture-intelligence policies) have been presented as vital in fighting the ‘Global War on Terror’, enmeshing governments of scores of nation-states, while challenging internationally established human rights to privacy and to freedom from torture and enforced disappearance. The book aims to synthesise what is known on relationships of influence between civil society and intelligence elites. It moves away from disciplinary silos, to make original recommendations for how a variety of academic disciplines most likely to study the relationship between civil society and intelligence elites (international relations, history, journalism and media) could productively cross-fertilise. Finally, it aims to create a practical benchmark to enable civil society to better hold intelligence elites publicly accountable.
This book will be of great interest to students of intelligence studies, surveillance, media, journalism, civil society, democracy and IR in general.
The secrecy surrounding intelligence means that publication of intelligence is highly restricted, barring occasional whistle-blowing and sanitised official leaks. These characteristics mean that intelligence, if publicised, can be highly manipulated by intelligence elites, while civil society’s ability to assess and verify claims is compromised by absence of independent evidence. There are few studies on the relationship between civil society and intelligence elites, which makes it hard to form robust assessments or practical recommendations regarding public oversight of intelligence elites. Addressing that lacuna, this book analyses two case studies of global political significance. The intelligence practices they focus on (contemporary mass surveillance and Bush-era torture-intelligence policies) have been presented as vital in fighting the ‘Global War on Terror’, enmeshing governments of scores of nation-states, while challenging internationally established human rights to privacy and to freedom from torture and enforced disappearance. The book aims to synthesise what is known on relationships of influence between civil society and intelligence elites. It moves away from disciplinary silos, to make original recommendations for how a variety of academic disciplines most likely to study the relationship between civil society and intelligence elites (international relations, history, journalism and media) could productively cross-fertilise. Finally, it aims to create a practical benchmark to enable civil society to better hold intelligence elites publicly accountable.
This book will be of great interest to students of intelligence studies, surveillance, media, journalism, civil society, democracy and IR in general.
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This chapter provides an introduction to propaganda in relation to war and conflict. We start by outlining the importance of these activities to the contemporary generation of policymakers and noting also the relevance and significance of... more
This chapter provides an introduction to propaganda in relation to war and conflict. We start by outlining the importance of these activities to the contemporary generation of policymakers and noting also the relevance and significance of deception as a political strategy. We then map three distinct areas in which propaganda plays a key role in conflict: 1) influencing domestic opinion, 2) shaping international/global opinion and 3) ‘winning hearts and mind’ within conflict zones. The chapter concludes by specifying key areas in which further conceptual/theoretical, ethical and empirical research are necessary in order to further our understanding of the role of propaganda in contemporary society.
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The academic field examining the relationship between the news media and the intelligence community is extremely small and fragmented, with sustained academic analysis limited to a handful of publications. Not only is the field small, but... more
The academic field examining the relationship between the news media and the intelligence community is extremely small and fragmented, with sustained academic analysis limited to a handful of publications. Not only is the field small, but it occupies tiny patches of turf in disparate disciplines that rarely talk to each other, spanning Media, Journalism, International Relations and History. Reflecting on these patches of turf, this chapter argues that the field suffers from disciplinary silos that would benefit from greater cross-fertilization. It identifies strong and weak currents within this inter-disciplinary field. The strong current examines the press as a target of intelligence agencies’ manipulative strategies. The weak current examines journalists’ challenges and practices in covering intelligence agencies, these practices ranging from collaborative to oppositional. The chapter then moves to reflect on the implications of these research currents for the press’s ability to hold intelligence agencies to account. The issue of accountability is a key critical issue as, in liberal democracies, the press is regularly presented as a guardian of the public interest – but the extent to which this is possible in the area of intelligence is rarely researched. This lacuna makes it difficult for meaningful reform of the relationship between the news media and the intelligence community to be suggested. The chapter concludes by outlining under-explored areas of critical research in the field, and by calling for more inter-disciplinary work.
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""Torture, Intelligence and Sousveillance in the War on Terror examines the communication battles of the Bush and Blair political administrations (and those of their successors in the US and UK) over their use of torture, first-hand or... more
""Torture, Intelligence and Sousveillance in the War on Terror examines the communication battles of the Bush and Blair political administrations (and those of their successors in the US and UK) over their use of torture, first-hand or second-hand, to gain intelligence for the War on Terror. In addition to detailing these administrations' Strategic Political Communication on this issue (comprising secrecy, silences and misdirection), this book explores key agenda–building drivers that exposed the torture–intelligence nexus, not just in the Third Estate (legislatures) and Fourth Estate (news and current affairs outlets), but also the Fifth Estate (that realm of digital and social media that advances the people’s right and ability to communicate). These discursive modes of resistance comprise unauthorized leaks and official investigations (Third Estate); investigative journalism and real-time reporting stemming from new media technologies (Fourth Estate); and Non-Governmental Organisation activity and sousveillance (Fifth Estate).
Presenting detailed case studies of key media events from the UK and USA within the War on Terror (2001-12), this insightful and timely volume exposes dominant political discourses on the torture–for–intelligence policy and evaluates the discursive modes of resistance to Strategic Political Communication – in particular, the newest mode of resistance, 'sousveillance' - community–based recording from first–person perspectives that may or may not involve a political agenda. This facilitates an exposition of the power–knowledge relationships constituting the torture–intelligence nexus; a re-evaluation of agenda-building models in the digital age; and an assessment of the health of the public sphere, identifying areas across the Third, Fourth and Fifth Estates that need strengthening. As such, it will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in media and communication, sociology, political communication, politics, international relations, and journalism.
See Key Findings section for more
""
Presenting detailed case studies of key media events from the UK and USA within the War on Terror (2001-12), this insightful and timely volume exposes dominant political discourses on the torture–for–intelligence policy and evaluates the discursive modes of resistance to Strategic Political Communication – in particular, the newest mode of resistance, 'sousveillance' - community–based recording from first–person perspectives that may or may not involve a political agenda. This facilitates an exposition of the power–knowledge relationships constituting the torture–intelligence nexus; a re-evaluation of agenda-building models in the digital age; and an assessment of the health of the public sphere, identifying areas across the Third, Fourth and Fifth Estates that need strengthening. As such, it will appeal to scholars across the social sciences with interests in media and communication, sociology, political communication, politics, international relations, and journalism.
See Key Findings section for more
""
Research Interests: Military Intelligence, Whistleblowing, Global Civil Society, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Civil Society and the Public Sphere, and 8 moreTorture, Intelligence and Espionage, Investigative Journalism, War on Terror, State Complicity in Torture, Civil Society, Sousveillance, and Strategic Communication and Contentious Politics - Media and Politics - Media and Foreign Policy Analysis - Social Media - Social and Political Movements - Media and Democracy - Political/ International Communication -
""This 95,000 word monograph fuses perspectives from politics, media studies and cultural studies, offering insights into impacts on strategic political communication of the emergence of web-based participatory media (‘Web 2.0’) across... more
""This 95,000 word monograph fuses perspectives from politics, media studies and cultural studies, offering insights into impacts on strategic political communication of the emergence of web-based participatory media (‘Web 2.0’) across the first decade of the 21st century. Countering the control engendered in strategic political communication, Steve Mann’s concepts of hierarchical sousveillance (politically motivated watching of the institutional watchers) and personal sousveillance (apolitical, human-centred life-sharing) is applied to Web 2.0. Focusing on interplays of user-generated and mainstream media about, and from, Iraq, detailed case studies explore different levels of control over strategic political communication during key moments, including the start of the 2003 Iraq war, the 2004 Abu Ghraib scandal, and Saddam Hussein’s execution in 2006. These are contextualized by overviews of political and media environments from 2001–09. Dr Bakir outlines broader implications of sousveillant web-based participatory media for strategic political communication, exploring issues of agenda-building, control, and the cycle of emergence, resistance and reincorporation of Web 2.0. Sousveillance cultures are explored, delineating issues of anonymity, semi-permanence, instanteneity resistance and social change.
For chapter one, click here: http://cipg.codemantra.us/UI_TRANSACTIONS/Marketing/UI_Widget.aspx?ID=WP9780826430090&ISBN=9780826430090&sts=r
See Key Findings section for more ...
This project is funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research Leave Scheme Award:"
For chapter one, click here: http://cipg.codemantra.us/UI_TRANSACTIONS/Marketing/UI_Widget.aspx?ID=WP9780826430090&ISBN=9780826430090&sts=r
See Key Findings section for more ...
This project is funded by the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Research Leave Scheme Award:"
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Bringing together a wide range of international contributors, this book outlines the low levels of trust in our institutions globally, theorises trust and the public sphere, explores how trust is built and destroyed across various media... more
Bringing together a wide range of international contributors, this book outlines the low levels of trust in our institutions globally, theorises trust and the public sphere, explores how trust is built and destroyed across various media forms, and assesses the health of the public sphere in light of the contributors’ insights.
Research Interests: Media Studies and Trust
This examines the scriptedness of apparently live television news broadcasts and how this inscribes the binary opposition of friend/enemy, highlighting this through textual deconstruction of a non-scripted event where this binary broke... more
This examines the scriptedness of apparently live television news broadcasts and how this inscribes the binary opposition of friend/enemy, highlighting this through textual deconstruction of a non-scripted event where this binary broke down.
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Using news coverage of Princess Diana as a case study, this explores whether European news media can practically be expected to help construct a European (as opposed to a national) identity.
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"This groundbreaking and innovative introduction to Media Studies affords undergraduate and mature students a comprehensive overview of the subject area. It aims to set students firmly on course to be critical, informed and canny... more
"This groundbreaking and innovative introduction to Media Studies affords undergraduate and mature students a comprehensive overview of the subject area. It aims to set students firmly on course to be critical, informed and canny operators within the discipline. The text is pedagogically rich and covers a wide range of topics from the history of media right through to coverage of new media. The text interweaves theory, practice, and professional issues throughout, and will engage the reader fully with the principal issues, challenges and paradigms in the discipline. Through a breadth of reference and support resources, students will actively grapple with a variety of media at both a practical and intellectual level. Students will emerge with a broad range of perspectives, a strong conceptual sense of the area and a firm foundation to take a critical approach to their studies at higher levels.
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The Internet provides fast and ubiquitous communication that enables all kinds of communities and provides citizens with easy access to vast amounts of information, although the information is not necessarily verified and may present a... more
The Internet provides fast and ubiquitous communication that enables all kinds of communities and provides citizens with easy access to vast amounts of information, although the information is not necessarily verified and may present a distorted view of real events or facts. The Internet's power as an instant source of mass information can be used to influence opinions, which can have far-reaching consequences. This report's purpose is to provide input into the advisory processes that determine European support for research into the effects and management of Fake News (e.g. deliberate misinformation), Echo Chambers (e.g. closed communities where biases can be reinforced through lack of diversity in opinions), and the Internet's influence on social and political movements such as Populism; to provide insight into how innovation that takes these aspects into account can be supported. To address this aim, this report concerns socio-technical implications of the Internet rel...
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This paper considers what liberal philosopher Michael Sandel coins the ‘moral limits of markets’ in relation to the idea of paying people for data about their biometrics and emotions. With Sandel arguing that certain aspects of human life... more
This paper considers what liberal philosopher Michael Sandel coins the ‘moral limits of markets’ in relation to the idea of paying people for data about their biometrics and emotions. With Sandel arguing that certain aspects of human life (such as our bodies and body parts) should be beyond monetisation and exchange, others argue that emerging technologies such as Personal Information Management Systems can enable a fairer, paid, data exchange between the individual and the organisation, even regarding highly personal data about our bodies and emotions. With the field of data ethics rarely addressing questions of payment, this paper explores normative questions about data dividends. It does so by conducting a UK-wide, demographically representative online survey to quantitatively assess adults’ views on being paid for personal data about their biometrics and emotions via a Personal Information Management System, producing a data dividend, a premise which sees personal data through t...
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This paper qualitatively explores the views of diverse members of the British public on applications of biometric emotional AI technologies patented by two globally dominant consumer-facing recommender systems, Amazon and Spotify.... more
This paper qualitatively explores the views of diverse members of the British public on applications of biometric emotional AI technologies patented by two globally dominant consumer-facing recommender systems, Amazon and Spotify. Examining Amazon and Spotify patents for biometric profiling of users’ emotions, disposition, and behaviour to offer them tailored services, ads, and products from their wider platforms, this paper points to industrial ambition regarding emotional AI. Little is known about ordinary people’s views on deployment of such technology, and given the complex, abstract, and future-facing nature of such technologies, ascertaining informed lay views is hard. We address this through our innovative, qualitative study of diverse British-based adults (n=46) that presents to them near-horizon use cases in an interactive fictional narrative that deploys design fiction principles and ContraVision techniques. We find the themes of “usefulness,” “resignation,” “uneasy terms ...
Research Interests: Sociology and Criminology
The arts of lying and deception are perennials of politics, having been used and debated throughout history and in the contemporary era. Indeed, for those sceptical of democracy, deception is understood as a necessary and justifiable part... more
The arts of lying and deception are perennials of politics, having been used and debated throughout history and in the contemporary era. Indeed, for those sceptical of democracy, deception is understood as a necessary and justifiable part of politics. For example, elitists argue that people need to sometimes be deceived by an enlightened elite whilst, for realists, the circumstances of international politics frequently demand deception by leaders. In contrast, democrats argue that political deception is corrosive to good, democratic governance other than in exceptional circumstances. Locating strategies of deception within an understanding of organized political communication (OPC) including propaganda extends our grasp and understanding of how lying and deception have become central to the exercise of power, even within contemporary liberal democracies. Today, enormous resources are devoted towards shaping the ‘information environment’ and OPC frequently employs deception, whether ...
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The Internet provides fast and ubiquitous communication that enables all kinds of communities and provides citizens with easy access to vast amounts of information, although the information is not necessarily verified and may present a... more
The Internet provides fast and ubiquitous communication that enables all kinds of communities and provides citizens with easy access to vast amounts of information, although the information is not necessarily verified and may present a distorted view of real events or facts. The Internet’s power as an instant source of mass information can be used to influence opinions, which can have far-reaching consequences. This report’s purpose is to provide input into the advisory processes that determine European support for research into the effects and management of Fake News (e.g. deliberate misinformation), Echo Chambers (e.g. closed communities where biases can be reinforced through lack of diversity in opinions), and the Internet’s influence on social and political movements such as Populism; to provide insight into how innovation that takes these aspects into account can be supported. To address this aim, this report concerns socio-technical implications of the Internet related to the ...
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We have established that false information online harms the civic body, driven by the economics of emotion and the politics of emotion. What should be done about this? Multi-stakeholder solutions have been proffered by various countries’... more
We have established that false information online harms the civic body, driven by the economics of emotion and the politics of emotion. What should be done about this? Multi-stakeholder solutions have been proffered by various countries’ governmental inquiries into disinformation and fake news, and by supranational bodies including the United Nations, European Union and Commonwealth. This chapter assesses seven solution areas: namely, (1) coercive and non-coercive government action, (2) cybersecurity, (3) digital intermediaries/platforms, (4) advertisers, (5) professional political persuaders and public relations, (6) media organisations and (7) education. As well as being intrinsically difficult areas to solve individually, let alone in concert, the chapter concludes that such solutions merely tinker at the edges as they do not address a fundamental incubator for false information online: namely, the business model for social media platforms built on the economics of emotion.
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populism does not hinge on any objectively observable state of emergency so much as it depends on the creation of an always subjective but shared perception of crisis through performances in the public sphere. Above all, through its... more
populism does not hinge on any objectively observable state of emergency so much as it depends on the creation of an always subjective but shared perception of crisis through performances in the public sphere. Above all, through its detailed examination of how contemporary populism functions through performance, Moffitt’s book thus provides an important and innovative new perspective in a crowded field. If there is a quibble, it is that more could have been made of the book’s interdisciplinary aspiration. Despite a stated ‘interdisciplinary standpoint’ (p. 5), Moffitt’s sourcing remains, with the notable exception of a section drawing on Guy Debord’s Society of the Spectacle (1967), firmly based in various spheres of political science scholarship. Theories of performance and performativity are absorbed via political scholarship of the ‘constructivist turn’, notably Michael Saward’s work, which tends to engage more directly with theories of performativity as developed by JL Austin, Judith Butler and others. Nevertheless, with the insistence that populism is ‘not a particular entity or “thing” but a political style that is done’, and with the choice to focus on performers, stages and audiences (p. 152, original emphasis), The Global Rise of Populism has pushed populism decisively and usefully into the realm of the performative in a way that is sure to open up many exciting and interdisciplinary avenues for future research.
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The Snowden leaks indicate the extent, nature, and means of contemporary mass digital surveillance of citizens by their intelligence agencies and the role of public oversight mechanisms in holding intelligence agencies to account. As... more
The Snowden leaks indicate the extent, nature, and means of contemporary mass digital surveillance of citizens by their intelligence agencies and the role of public oversight mechanisms in holding intelligence agencies to account. As such, they form a rich case study on the interactions of “veillance ” (mutual watching) involving citizens, journalists, intelli-gence agencies and corporations. While Surveillance Studies, Intelligence Studies and Journalism Studies have little to say on surveillance of citizens ’ data by intelligence agencies (and complicit surveillant corporations), they offer insights into the role of citizens and the press in holding power, and specifically the political-intelligence elite, to account. Atten-tion to such public oversight mechanisms facilitates critical interrogation of issues of surveillant power, resistance and intelligence accountability. It directs attention to the veillant panoptic assemblage (an arrangement of profoundly une-qual mutual watchi...
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1.2 We show how British journalism does a poor job in promoting the right to privacy, especially given its demonstrable preference for a counter-narrative promoted by the intelligence elite on the importance of surveillance for national... more
1.2 We show how British journalism does a poor job in promoting the right to privacy, especially given its demonstrable preference for a counter-narrative promoted by the intelligence elite on the importance of surveillance for national security. To explain this, we draw on published academic work on the 2013 leaks by National Security Agency (NSA) whistleblower, Edward Snowden, on mass surveillance.
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An analysis of all 78 written submissions to the UK Parliamentary Fake News Inquiry.
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A seminar run by the network for Media & Persuasive Communication exploring the ethical, legal, political and cultural implications of the social practices and technologies of government intelligence agencies (eg NSA, GCHQ) and... more
A seminar run by the network for Media & Persuasive Communication exploring the ethical, legal, political and cultural implications of the social practices and technologies of government intelligence agencies (eg NSA, GCHQ) and corporations (eg Google) that hoover up data on citizens and imply forced transparency for all.
Speakers: Dr Vian Bakir, Dr Andy McStay, Dr Martina Feilzer.
Starts 12.30. Ends 1.30
Speakers: Dr Vian Bakir, Dr Andy McStay, Dr Martina Feilzer.
Starts 12.30. Ends 1.30
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Summarises Mann's concept of sousveillance; explains what sousveillance has to do with emergent Web-based participatory media; points to how sousveillance impacts on strategic political communication; and offers some case study details... more
Summarises Mann's concept of sousveillance; explains what sousveillance has to do with emergent Web-based participatory media; points to how sousveillance impacts on strategic political communication; and offers some case study details from Abu Ghraib to show that sousveillance matters.
This module will enable you to appreciate the fast developing world of digital journalism. It will map the digital terrain, exploring the impact on journalism of Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and convergence. You will examine new ways of doing... more
This module will enable you to appreciate the fast developing world of digital journalism. It will map the digital terrain, exploring the impact on journalism of Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and convergence. You will examine new ways of doing journalism, specifically interrogating the development and social impact of citizen journalism, collaborative journalism, new methods of sourcing information (such as Wikileaks), and the financing of journalism when audiences no longer want to pay. The impact of digital journalism on political manipulation and social resistance will be explored, through examining cultural practices such as sousveillance (‘watching from below’). Throughout, issues of trust, authenticity and immediacy – all issues that are intensified in the digital environment - will be explored.
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King’s College London 14-15 May, 2015 In the wake of the Snowden revelations about the surveillance capabilities of intelligence agencies, this interdisciplinary symposium gathers experts to discuss the place and implications of secrecy... more
King’s College London
14-15 May, 2015
In the wake of the Snowden revelations about the surveillance capabilities of intelligence agencies, this interdisciplinary symposium gathers experts to discuss the place and implications of secrecy in contemporary culture and politics.
Thursday 14th May
6.30-8.30
Opening Talk: Jamie Bartlett, Demos, Author of The Dark Net
Respondent, Zach Blas on the ‘Contra-Internet’
Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre, The Strand Campus, King’s College London
Free Registation at: https://secretsofdarknet.eventbrite.co.uk/
15 May: Symposium
Free registration at: https://politicsofsecrecy.eventbrite.co.uk/
9-9.15
Introduction: Secrecy’s Frame
Clare Birchall (King’s College London) & Matt Potolsky (University of Utah)
9.15-10.45
Roundtable 1: Between Opacity and Openness
Mark Fenster (College of Law, University of Florida)
(Secrecy and the Hypothetical State Archive)
Zach Blas (Artist, University of Buffalo)
(Informatic Opacity)
Mikkel Flyvverbom (Intercultural Communication and Management, Copenhagen Business School)
(Transparency and the Management of Visibilities)
Vian Bakir (Creative Studies and Media, Bangor University)
(Deceptive Organised Persuasive Communication: (a) Misdirection and (b) Secretly Altering Reality to Fit the Lie you want to Tell)
11.15-12.30
Roundtable 2: Aesthetics of the Secret
John Beck (Institute of Modern & Contemporary Culture, University of Westminster)
(Photography’s Open Secret)
Neal White (Artist, Bournemouth University)
(Secrecy and Art in Practice)
Clare Birchall (American Studies, King’s College London)
(Art “After” Snowden)
12.30-1.30
Lunch
1.30-3.00
Roundtable 3: Open Secrets
Jack Bratich (Communication and Information, Rutgers University)
(Spectacular Secrecy and the Public Secret Sphere: Rumsfeld, Anonymous, and Snowden)
Deme Kasimis (Political Science, Yale University)
(Passing as Open Secrecy: Migrants and the Performance of Citizenship in Classical Greek Thought)
Adam Piette (English, Sheffield University)
(The Open Secret of Nuclear Waste)
Matt Potolsky (English, University of Utah)
(Beyond Fiction: The NSA and Representation)
3.30-4.45
Roundtable 4: Covert Spheres
Timothy Melley (English, Miami University)
(The Democratic Security State: Operating Between Secrecy and Publicity)
Øyvind Vågnes (Visual Culture, University of Copenhagen)
(Drone Warfare and the Language of Precision)
Hugh Urban (Comparative Studies, Ohio State)
(The Silent Brotherhood: Secrecy, Violence, and Surveillance from the Brüder Schweigen to the War on Terror)
5.00-5.30
Summary: Secrecy’s Future
14-15 May, 2015
In the wake of the Snowden revelations about the surveillance capabilities of intelligence agencies, this interdisciplinary symposium gathers experts to discuss the place and implications of secrecy in contemporary culture and politics.
Thursday 14th May
6.30-8.30
Opening Talk: Jamie Bartlett, Demos, Author of The Dark Net
Respondent, Zach Blas on the ‘Contra-Internet’
Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre, The Strand Campus, King’s College London
Free Registation at: https://secretsofdarknet.eventbrite.co.uk/
15 May: Symposium
Free registration at: https://politicsofsecrecy.eventbrite.co.uk/
9-9.15
Introduction: Secrecy’s Frame
Clare Birchall (King’s College London) & Matt Potolsky (University of Utah)
9.15-10.45
Roundtable 1: Between Opacity and Openness
Mark Fenster (College of Law, University of Florida)
(Secrecy and the Hypothetical State Archive)
Zach Blas (Artist, University of Buffalo)
(Informatic Opacity)
Mikkel Flyvverbom (Intercultural Communication and Management, Copenhagen Business School)
(Transparency and the Management of Visibilities)
Vian Bakir (Creative Studies and Media, Bangor University)
(Deceptive Organised Persuasive Communication: (a) Misdirection and (b) Secretly Altering Reality to Fit the Lie you want to Tell)
11.15-12.30
Roundtable 2: Aesthetics of the Secret
John Beck (Institute of Modern & Contemporary Culture, University of Westminster)
(Photography’s Open Secret)
Neal White (Artist, Bournemouth University)
(Secrecy and Art in Practice)
Clare Birchall (American Studies, King’s College London)
(Art “After” Snowden)
12.30-1.30
Lunch
1.30-3.00
Roundtable 3: Open Secrets
Jack Bratich (Communication and Information, Rutgers University)
(Spectacular Secrecy and the Public Secret Sphere: Rumsfeld, Anonymous, and Snowden)
Deme Kasimis (Political Science, Yale University)
(Passing as Open Secrecy: Migrants and the Performance of Citizenship in Classical Greek Thought)
Adam Piette (English, Sheffield University)
(The Open Secret of Nuclear Waste)
Matt Potolsky (English, University of Utah)
(Beyond Fiction: The NSA and Representation)
3.30-4.45
Roundtable 4: Covert Spheres
Timothy Melley (English, Miami University)
(The Democratic Security State: Operating Between Secrecy and Publicity)
Øyvind Vågnes (Visual Culture, University of Copenhagen)
(Drone Warfare and the Language of Precision)
Hugh Urban (Comparative Studies, Ohio State)
(The Silent Brotherhood: Secrecy, Violence, and Surveillance from the Brüder Schweigen to the War on Terror)
5.00-5.30
Summary: Secrecy’s Future
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Jan 2015: Published commentary in Spinwatch on US Senate Intelligence Committee’s Report into CIA torture during the Bush administration.
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Oct 2016. Published in Open Democracy about the problems with secret research that informs security policy.
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Public talk on the importance of art in public education on complex, abstract issues like data surveillance; and why the public needs to understand these issues. This accompanied the opening of Veillance, an art installation by Ronan... more
Public talk on the importance of art in public education on complex, abstract issues like data surveillance; and why the public needs to understand these issues.
This accompanied the opening of Veillance, an art installation by Ronan Devlin at Bangor Univeristy.
This accompanied the opening of Veillance, an art installation by Ronan Devlin at Bangor Univeristy.
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In 2017, the UK's Fake News Parliamentary Inquiry for Dept. of Culture, Sport and Media invited submissions. This submission, with P.Robinson (Univ. of Sheffield), D.Miller (Univ. of Bath) and C. Simpson (American Univ.) is on Fake News:... more
In 2017, the UK's Fake News Parliamentary Inquiry for Dept. of Culture, Sport and Media invited submissions. This submission, with P.Robinson (Univ. of Sheffield), D.Miller (Univ. of Bath) and C. Simpson (American Univ.) is on Fake News: A Framework for Detecting and Avoiding Propaganda.
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ESRC Seminar Series Debating and Assessing Transprency Arrangements- Privacy, Security,Sur/Sous/Veillance, trust.