Critical computation: mixed-methods approaches to big language data analysis

In this theoretical piece, we discuss the limitations of using purely computational techniques to study big language data produced by people online. Instead, we advocate for mixed-method approaches that are able to more critically evaluate and consider the individual and social impact of this data. We propose one approach that combines qualitative, traditional quantitative, and computational methods for the study of language and text. Such approaches leverage the speed and expediency of computational tools while also highlighting the value of qualitative methods in critically assessing the outcome of computational results. In addition to this, we highlight two considerations for communication scholars utilizing big data: (1) the need to consider more language variations and (2) the importance of self-reflexivity when conducting big language data research. We conclude with additional recommendations for researchers seeking to adopt this framework in the context of their own research

Identity Construction in a Misogynist Incels Forum

Online communities of involuntary celibates (incels) are a prominent source of misogynist hate speech. In this paper, we use quantitative text and network analysis approaches to examine how identity groups are discussed on incels.is, the largest black-pilled incels forum. We find that this community produces a wide range of novel identity terms and, while terms for women are most common, mentions of other minoritized identities are increasing. An analysis of the associations made with identity groups suggests an essentialist ideology where physical appearance, as well as gender and racial hierarchies, determine human value. We discuss implications for research into automated misogynist hate speech detection.Comment: Workshop on Online Abuse and Harms (WOAH) 202

Status Review for Anadromous Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in the United States

https://digitalmaine.com/commerce_feddocs/1003/thumbnail.jp

“Maintaining Frame” in the Incelosphere: Mapping the Discourses, Representations and Geographies of Involuntary Celibates Online

Nearly 50 people have been killed by misogynist incels (involuntary celibates) during mass violence attacks since 2014. This feminist media studies dissertation explores the media coverage and online activity of this growing community of men— a subculture surrounding an inability to find romantic or sexual partners despite desiring them. This mixed methods project consists of three studies, including a social mapping of incels online using hyperlink network analysis, a thematic mapping of the largest dedicated incel web forum (incels.is) using the Analysis of Topic Model Networks (ANTMN) method, and a frame analysis of U.S. print news coverage of incels also using ANTMN. Chapter 4 results indicate the incelosphere is connected to the broader manosphere network, as well as to a larger ecosystem of extremist websites, and that these groups frequently monitor the mainstream media, government and academic channels for tactical engagement (Munoz, 1999) with the content found there. Chapter 5 finds the discourse on incels.is centers around four primary frames, including Physical Appearance, Lifestyle, Theory/Identity and Online Community. Moreover, results of this chapter indicate that users on the forum deploy tactics of participatory culture, networked affect and collective action framing to build community and mobilize incels within the forum, suggesting the forum community can be understood as a new social movement in the coalescence stage. Chapter 6 results found the vast majority of news media coverage of incels takes place around incidents of incel-perpetrated mass violence and uses four frames, including Law & Order, Culture Wars, Online Extremism and Profile Features

For Whom the Bell Tolls: Memeing French Landscape on Instagram

Na noite de 15 de abril de 2019, várias nuvens de fumo irromperam da Catedral de Notre-Dame e atravessaram os telhados da Ile de la Cité em Paris, França. Os líderes mundiais expressaram as suas condolências pela perda e muitos especialistas alertaram publicamente que, embora possa ser reconstruído, o monumento ao catolicismo do século XII nunca "será o mesmo". No final do dia seguinte, os sinos da catedral dobraram ecoando nos céus da cidade em homenagem ao devastador incêndio e centenas de milhões de euros já haviam sido prometidos, com os super-ricos a liderar o caminho. Nos dias que se seguiram, os esforços com o incêndio e a angariação de fundos atraíram uma verdadeira tempestade mediática e provocaram um enorme fervor nas redes sociais. A hashtag #NotreDameFire liderou no Twitter, tornou-se viral no Facebook e, até ao momento, conquistou quase 22.000 posts no Instagram. Grande parte deste discurso popular on-line não tem sido amistoso e pode ser lido como uma forma de luta política em torno do significado e da identidade de Notre-Dame travada no arquivo digital do Instagram. Este artigo examina a hashtag #NotreDameFire no Instagram, interpretando os elementos visuais aí publicados através dos conceitos propostos por Cara A. Finnegan em Making Photography Matter: A Viewer’s History from the Civil War to the Great Depression. Considera os conceitos de Finnegan de presença, caráter, apropriação e magnitude no contexto do Instagram entendido como um arquivo que funciona, neste caso, simultaneamente, como lugar e visão de uma paisagem imperial a Catedral de Notre-Dame.On the evening of April 15, 2019, hoary plumes of smoke erupted from Notre-Dame Cathedral and rolled across the rooftops of the Ile de la Cité in Paris, France. World leaders expressed their condolences over the loss, and many experts publicly warned that, though it can be rebuilt, the 12th-century monument to Catholicism will never “be the same”. By the end of the next day, cathedral bells tolled across the city in honor of the devastating fire and hundreds of millions in euros already had been pledged, with the uber-wealthy leading the way. In the days that followed the fire, the fire and fundraising efforts garnered a veritable tempest of media coverage and ignited a social media fervor. The hashtag #NotreDameFire trended on Twitter, spread virally across Facebook and, to date, has garnered almost 22,000 posts on Instagram. Much of this online popular discourse has not been as kind and can be read as a form of political struggle around the meaning and identity of Notre-Dame waged on the digital archive of Instagram. This article examines the #NotreDameFire hashtag on Instagram, reading the associated visuals through the framework set out by Cara A. Finnegan in Making Photography Matter: A Viewer’s History from the Civil War to the Great Depression. It considers Finnegan’s presence, character, appropriation and magnitude in the context of Instagram as an archive of, in this case, both site and sight of one imperial landscape — Notre-Dame Cathedral

Digital Media Literacy in the Era of \u27Fake News\u27

There is no doubt as to the importance of journalism to the health of our democracy, but in the era of \u27fake news,\u27 \u27post truth,\u27 and information overload, it can be increasingly difficult to determine the credibility of online news sources. A (2016) Stanford study, Evaluating Information: The Cornerstone of Civic Online Reasoning, found that there is a concern around media literacy amongst middle school, high school and college-aged students. Results indicated that less than 20 percent of respondents failed to question the trustworthiness of dubious photos spread online that were framed as news, more than 80 percent did not recognize native advertising that was explicitly labeled as sponsored content, and less than one-third critically evaluated the source credibility of Tweeted news content and political memes. In the context of the United States, this problem is exacerbated by the rise of conservative populism and its caustic relationship with the free press. How can citizens identify advertorial content that masquerades as news, determine what information is disseminated by partisan sources, and weed out patently false information online in order to maintain a functioning democracy through participatory citizenship? This presentation will review and contextualize the concepts of \u27fake news\u27 and \u27post truth,\u27 while providing interactive examples of online content that offer the audience an opportunity to apply critical media literacy skills. In this way, the audience can learn what to look for in evaluating online content and more thoughtfully consume digital news through both news-related websites and social media