The Community Wireless Infrastructure Research Project (CWIRP)

Date: 2006
Funding:
Researchers: Andrew Clement (FIS, KMDI), Barbara Crow (Communication Studies, York U), Graham Longford (FIS) and Catherine Middleton (School of Information Technology Management, Ryerson)
Description: brings together an interdisciplinary team of academic researchers and community and government partners to engage in in-depth case studies of public/community-based ICT initiatives in which WiFi technology plays an important role. CWIRP seeks to document and assess the various models, best practices and benefits of public internet infrastructure provision in Canada. It is funded by Infrastructure Canada for two years.

Rethinking Media, Democracy and Citizenship: New Media Practices and Online Digital Dissent after September 11

Date: 2006-2009
Funding: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Researchers: Megan Boler PI (Theory and Policy Studes, OISE/UT) & Jennifer Kayahara (Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology) and Elise Chien (Master’s Candidate, Faculty of Information Studies) and seven other graduate students
Description: This research examines how digital media use increases political dissent and civic participation, despite a climate in which mainstream media are increasingly restricted by both the narrowed channels for public participation due to media ownership concentration and the cultural repression following 9/11. The research team is focused on three sites of memes, blogs, and online political culture: (a) MoveOn’s Bushin30Seconds campaign, 150 independently submitted and digitally produced 30 second Quicktime memes that address a range of post 9/11 political concerns; (b) political weblogs that engage in debate about the U.S. invasion of Iraq; (c) blogs, chats, and lists that discuss Jon Stewart, The Daily Show and Stewart’s appearance on Crossfire as an icon of critical political commentary. After completing discourse analysis, the team will conduct a survey and interviews to investigate participants’ motivations for engaging in public online debate. In 2009, Boler published a book on this topic: Digital Media and Democracy: Tactics in Hard Times.