SILS and CITAP congratulate Zeynep Tufekci on visiting professorship at Columbia
The UNC School of Information and Library Science (SILS) and Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life (CITAP) congratulate SILS Associate Professor Zeynep Tufekci on joining the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security at the Columbia University School of Journalism as a visiting professor for the 2021-22 academic year.
A principal researcher with CITAP, Tufekci will spend her time at Columbia drafting a new book and conducting research on security tools for journalists. At Carolina, her recent focus has been researching and countering misinformation on COVID-19, work that led the New York Times to describe her as “perhaps the only good amateur epidemiologist.” She has also been expanding her previous research on how protest movements use social technologies, with field work in Sri Lanka and Hong Kong.
“I’m excited to be a visiting professor at the Craig Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security because journalists’ security is crucially important in today’s world of increasing authoritarianism and threats directed at journalists,” Tufekci said. “While at Columbia, I hope to build bridges across multiple disciplines to provide tools and guidance to journalists worldwide who deserve security and safety.”
SILS Dean Gary Marchionini noted that the changing role of journalism is one of the key issues CITAP researchers are examining as they work to fully evaluate the growing impact of the internet, social media, and other forms of digital information sharing.
“The Newmark Center’s mission to increase security for journalists goes hand in hand with CITAP’s research into the evolving role of journalists in a healthy information ecosystem,” he said. “We’re pleased at the opportunities for collaboration and partnership that Dr. Tufekci will create between UNC and Columbia.”
Carolina established CITAP in 2019 with a $5 million gift from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and support from Luminate and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. CITAP brings together experts from across campus, including principal researchers Deen Freelon, Daniel Kreiss, Alice Marwick, and Zeynep Tufekci, and senior faculty researchers Tressie McMillan Cottom, Shannon McGregor, and Francesca Tripodi.