10th Oct, 2019 SARAH T ROBERTS
Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media
In the times of post-truth and fake news, with this talk you get the opportunity to dive into the world of content moderation.
Sarah Robert’s research focuses on information work and workers, and is a leading global authority on “commercial content moderation,” the term she coined to describe the work of those responsible for making sure media content posted to commercial websites fit within legal, ethical, and the site’s own guidelines and standards. However, the phenomenon of content moderation in social media firms has been shrouded in mystery when acknowledged at all.
In this talk, she will discuss the fruits of her decade-long study on the commercial content moderation industry, and its concomitant people, practices and politics. Based on interviews with workers from Silicon Valley to the Philippines, at boutique firms and at major social media companies, she will offer context, history and analysis of this hidden industry, with particular attention to the emotional toll it takes on its workers. The talk will offer insights about potential futures for the commercial internet and a discussion of the future of globalized labor in the digital age.
BIO:
Sarah T. Roberts, Ph.D.
Sarah T. Roberts is an assistant professor of Information Studies at the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, specializing in Internet culture, social media, and the intersection of media, technology and society. She is founding co-director, along with Dr. Safiya Noble, of the forthcoming UCLA Center for Critical Internet Inquiry. She is frequently consulted on matters of policy, worker welfare, and governance related to content moderation issues and the broader social media landscape.Her book, Behind the Screen: Content Moderation in the Shadows of Social Media, was released in June 2019 (Yale University Press).
Date: 10th October, 2019
Time: 6-8pm
Venue: Monash Conference Centre, Seminar 2 & 3, Level 7, 30 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/behind-the-screen-content-moderation-in-the-shadows-of-social-media-tickets-72025485165
