Here at CAT Lab at Cornell University, Jennifer Otiono is starting a new project on the role of algorithms in Black History Month and other cultural celebrations, advised by J. Nathan Matias. Over the next year, we plan to interview content creators, analyze donated data on audience trends and harassment— and study the behavior of platform algorithms before, during, and after Black History Month.
Before that starts, we want to have preliminary conversations to get more clarity on what to prioritize in our study.
Learn more about our study in this post: Why have algorithms stopped promoting Black History Month?
We're especially interested to understand the experiences of creators who have been promoted by these campaigns, as well as the lower and middle tier marginalized content creators who haven't received the small number of grants or front page promotions provided by companies. We want to understand their experiences of Black History Month and how they navigate AI driven platforms in order to be visible while managing the risks of visibility.
Ever since Dr. Carter G. Woodson started Negro History Week, Black Americans have wrestled with the forces of acknowledgment, representation, and tokenism bound up in its celebration. In the 21st century, the people made visible by changes in platform algorithms each February are asking similar questions. We hope our research helps make sense of this moment, the opportunity it enables, and the harms it sometimes introduces into people's lives.
If you're a creator, an algorithm-maker, or someone who has access to audience data, we would love to talk to you.
Things to know
- Since we are still deciding what questions to ask, we haven't yet finalized our research protocol for ethics review. For that reason, nothing you say will be incorporated into any research we publish.
- We will not share any of what you submit with anyone outside of CAT Lab
- By adding your contact information, you consent to have us contact you about arranging a short chat over the phone or Zoom. Once we have narrowed down our research questions, we may also follow up to see if you're interested in participating in a more formal research interview.
