2018 Keynote

Prof. Karine Nahon

Challenging Democracies: From Zuckerberg to Trump and beyond

photo credit: Adi Cohen Zedek

Abstract: The last couple of years have provided us with ample examples of biased information flows and structures of networks. For example, the fast-spread disinformation at times of elections, the homophilious tweak of the newsfeed by Facebook, and manipulation of bots by politicians. Can we, scholars, evade the simple and shallow technological determinism, and the dichotomy of optimism/pessimism? Can we draw a more complex picture about the challenges democracies face and how these biases impact the democratic system? In this talk, I analyze inequalities and biases in participation, representation and intermediation in democratic regimes, while taking into account the power struggles over hegemony of platforms, governments, collectives and individuals on (and via) social media and Internet. With such a dynamic ecosystem, virality has a unique role, as a force that challenges prevailing power dynamics in society, and at the same time perpetuates inequalities.

Bio:  Karine Nahon is the elected president of the Israel Internet Association (ISOC-IL), an Associate Professor of Information Science in the Lauder School of Government and Ofer School of Communications at the Interdisciplinary Center at Herzliya (IDC), Israel, and an Affiliated Associate Professor in the Information School at University of Washington (UW). Previously, she held a tenured position as a faculty at the Information School at University of Washington. She directed the Virality of Information (retroV) research group, and directed the Center for Information & Society at University of Washington. In 2017, Nahon was named #24 on Forbes’ list of 50 Most Influential Women in Israel, and on the list of the 100 most influential people on digital of the Israeli Digital Association.

Using interdisciplinary lenses, her research focuses on politics of information, and information politics. More specifically, she studies power dynamics and network gatekeeping in social media, and the role of virality and information flows in elections and in politics in general. Professor Nahon is the author of the book Going Viral 2013 (co-authored with Jeff Hemsley). The book received the ASIS&T Best Information Science Book Award, The American Library Association Outstanding Academic Titles.  She has published over 80 research papers in her area in top-tier journals like JASIS&T, ARIST, JCMC, IJoC, ICS and TIS. Since 2013 she serves as the co-chair of the Digital and Social Media track at HICSS.

In addition to her academic role, she also helps shape information policy and promote transparency through leadership roles on national and international bodies. Currently, she is a board member of Wikimedia, the Freedom of Information Movement. In the past she was a member of the Chief Information Office (CIO) Cabinet and represented Israel in the UN in the committee for science and technology.

Past #SMSociety Keynotes