lots of catchup on projects and posts from the last year

_posts/2023-10-21-aoir-talk.markdown

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+---
+title: "Creative Data Viz as Epistemological Resistance (AoIR 2023 talk)"
+date: 2023-10-21 00:09:00 -0500
+categories: [ "visualization", "data-literacy", "events" ]
+thumbnail: aoir-talk-2023-thumb.png
+author: Rahul Bhargava
+---
+
+I attended the [Association of Internet Researchers 2023 conference](https://aoir.org/aoir2023/) last week in Philadelphia, where I presented my research on rethinking how we represent data in social justice and community settings. Read [the short paper](https://doi.org/10.5210/spir.v2023i0.13396).
+
+Utilizing the idea of "epistemological resistance" (borrowed from anti-colonial studies), I tried to challenge the dominant approach to data visualization that we've inherited from scientific and statistical traditions. While charts and graphs have become ubiquitous in community decision-making and activism, I argued that these conventional tools come with baggage - they privilege certain ways of knowing and understanding that don't always align with goals of empowerment and community engagement.
+
+To illustrate alternatives, I shared three powerful examples of creative data representation in community settings. In Mexico City, activists created a striking memorial by writing the names of feminicide victims on barriers around the main square (["Te nombré en el silencio"](https://ambulante.org/catalogo/te-nombre-en-el-silencio)). Chicago protesters constructed [a street data sculpture](https://x.com/ashapoesis/status/1279489934576046085) showing the city's disproportionate police spending compared to other departments. And in Los Angeles, unhoused community members and activists collaborated on both a [theatrical performance and mini-golf course](https://www.lapovertydept.org/the-back-9/) to represent data about homelessness policies. These cases demonstrate how communities are finding creative, embodied ways to represent data that go beyond standard charts and graphs.
+
+The core message of my talk was that we need to expand our data visualization toolbox to embrace multiple ways of knowing and understanding information. The standard approaches we've inherited from scientific fields don't always serve the needs of communities using data for social justice and democratic engagement. By learning from activists who are already pioneering alternative approaches like data sculptures, murals, and performance, we can develop more inclusive and empowering ways to represent data. I'm excited to continue exploring this intersection of data representation, epistemology, and social justice - there's so much potential for innovation here that could better serve communities working toward positive change. It will be a major focus of the book I'm working on.

_posts/2023-11-02-dvs-iib-keynote.markdown

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+---
+title: "Keynote at Information is Beautiful 2023 Awards"
+date: 2023-11-02 00:09:00 -0500
+categories: [ "visualization", "data-literacy", "events" ]
+thumbnail: iib-dvs-2023-thumb.png
+author: Rahul Bhargava
+---
+
+I was honored to be invited to give a keynote at the [2023 Information is Beautiful Awards - Day of Inspiration, hosted by the Data Visualization Society](https://www.datavisualizationsociety.org/2023dayofinspiration). In the talk, called "Questioning Our Data Cultures" I decided to introduce some ideas from the book I'm working on, specifically about how our traditional approaches to data visualization and engagement need to evolve as data use spreads beyond its historical domains (science, statistics, and business) into new settings (newspapers, museums, civic engagment, CSOs, libraries).
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-5KCIDIlnuY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+The dominant cultures of data - surveillance, formalism, authority, and capitalism - don't align well with what I call "pro-social settings" where the goals are participation, engagement, and empowerment. This misalignment creates barriers when we try to bring people together around data in community, civic, and advocacy contexts.
+
+We need to address this gap, because it is creating disengagement, disempowerment, and active harms. I presented three alternative approaches I've been co-designing with community groups that better serve these new contexts: data scultpures, data murals, and data theatre.
+
+These methods, and the underlying theories, form what I call "popular data" - a framework that emphasizes accessibility, participation, and meeting people where they are. This work will be detailed in my upcoming [book from Oxford University Press, "Community Data,"](https://global.oup.com/academic/product/community-data-9780198911630) as we continue to expand our toolbox for bringing people together around data in pro-social settings.

_posts/2024-04-25-policyviz-podcast.markdown

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+---
+title: "Guest on Schwabish's PolicyViz Podcast: Data Beyond the Screen" 
+date: 2024-04-25 00:09:00 -0500
+categories: [ "visualization", "data-literacy" ]
+thumbnail: policyviz-podcast-thumb.png
+author: Rahul Bhargava
+---
+
+I was so pleased to be invited by my friend and colleague Jon Schwabish for an interview on his [PolicyViz Podcast](https://policyviz.com/podcast/). The topic was "Data Beyond the Screen", specifically focused on data sculptures. [Watch a video of interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yW0t51ktjs).
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/9yW0t51ktjs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+As someone who started in computer science before finding my way to more community-centered work, I enjoyed sharing how my journey has shaped my approach to making data more accessible and engaging for diverse communities. In our conversation, I emphasized how our society tends to privilege sight over other senses when it comes to data representation. To address this I've done a lot of work on data sculptures and embodied data experiences. These approaches help create new entry points for people who might feel excluded by traditional data visualization methods.
+
+I highlighted the [1,659 table](http://dataculture.northeastern.edu/1659/), a table my wife and I created during the pandemic, welded together from 1,700 pieces of cutlery – representing the number of households applying daily for SNAP benefits in Massachusetts. This piece exemplifies how physical data representations can spark meaningful conversations about difficult topics like food insecurity.
+
+I also shared our ongoing work with data theater, where we're reimagining community engagement through theatrical performances based on data. Instead of traditional civic meetings with projectors and sticky notes, we're exploring how 20-minute performances followed by group discussions can create more inclusive spaces for community dialogue.
+
+The goal of using these methods isn't just about creative approaches to data literacy; it's about empowerment and ensuring more voices have a seat at the table when data-driven decisions are being made. What excites me most about this work is how it challenges the traditional power dynamics of data collection and analysis. By bringing data back to communities in forms they can relate to and engage with, we're helping reset these power balances and create more equitable ways of working with information.
+
+For those interested in exploring these approaches, remember: working with communities takes time, and speed is often a poor metric of success. The relationships we build and the questions we encourage people to ask are far more valuable than quick results.

_posts/2024-05-30-csvconf8-talk.markdown

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+---
+title: "Creative Data Representation for Social Justice Movements @ csv,conf,v8 " 
+date: 2024-05-30 00:09:00 -0500
+categories: [ "visualization", "data-literacy", "events" ]
+thumbnail: csv-conf-8-thumb.png
+author: Rahul Bhargava
+---
+
+I attended [csv,conf,v8](https://csvconf.com) in Puebla, Mexico, where I presented a talk on creative approaches to data representation that are more appropriately designed for social justice movemements. This connects to idea in my forthcoming book on "Community Data". The group was an incredibly kind and welcoming mix of data scientists, data visualization experts, journalists, activists, academics, and more. [Watch a video of the talk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To6yczrx4_s). 
+
+![large group of event attendees on stage in front of slide with logos]({{ site.baseurl }}/static/img/posts/csv-conf-8.jpg)
+*All the attendees say "hi!" 👋🏽*
+
+I presented my work on creative data representation approaches for social justice movements. Now-traditional data visualization practices are often rooted in cultures of surveillance, formalism, capitalism, and authority - epistemological frameworks that can conflict with the needs and values of community-based social justice work.
+
+<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/To6yczrx4_s" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
+
+I shared several inspiring alternative examples that demonstrate what's possible when we embrace what [Turkle and Papert call "epistemological pluralism"](https://sherryturkle.mit.edu/sites/default/files/images/ST_Epistemo%20Pluralism.pdf) - accepting multiple ways of knowing things. Drawing on [Heron and Reason's extended epistemology framework](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/357256435_Achieving_effective_interprofessional_practice_between_speech_and_language_therapists_and_teachers_An_epistemological_perspective/figures?lo=1), I discussed how we can move beyond just propositional knowledge to incorporate experiential, practical, and presentational ways of knowing in our data work.
+
+My own approaches to community-centered data representation try to put those theories into practice, from data murals, to data sculptures, to data theater. These creative methods aim to empower communities with information while respecting their own ways of knowing and sharing knowledge. These will be major themes of my forthcoming book, "Community Data".

_posts/2024-06-15-data-theatre-nu-award.markdown

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+---
+title: "Data Theatre Collaborative wins Heart of CommUNITY Award" 
+date: 2024-06-15 00:09:00 -0500
+categories: [ "visualization", "data-literacy", "civic-engagement", "events" ]
+thumbnail: heart-of-community-thumb.png
+author: Rahul Bhargava
+---
+
+Excited to share that the Data Theatre Collaborative won a "Heart of CommUNITY" award from Northeastern University for our work with [Livable Streets Alliance](https://www.livablestreets.info) and [Hyde Park Task Force](https://www.hydesquare.org) youth.
+
+![four people standing, one holding an engraved award plaque]({{ site.baseurl }}/static/img/posts/heart-of-community.jpg)
+*Moira Zellner and I receiving the award. Photo by Alyssa Stone/Northeastern University*
+
+I've always believed that data should be accessible to everyone, not just analysts. That's why the Data Theatre Collaborative is working to transform how communities engage with data through participatory civic theater practices. We partnered with the Hyde Park Task Force youth and Livable Streets Alliance to reimagine the SouthWest Corridor Park redevelopment. Instead of defaulting to traditional PowerPoint presentations that often exclude many community members, we brought survey data to life through theatrical performance.
+
+Working alongside theater artists, we devised a 10-minute performance that presented the data in an engaging, accessible format. Our early results show that this approach is truly transformative - not only in how people understand the data but in who participates in these civic discussions.
+
+I'm particularly proud of how this project demonstrates that data analysis doesn't have to be confined to spreadsheets and graphs. By making these presentations more participatory, we're helping ensure that community decisions are truly inclusive and representative of all voices.
+
+[Read more on Northeastern Global News](https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/06/15/heart-of-community-awards/).

_posts/2024-07-01-nsf-hndsi-grant-media-cloud.markdown

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+---
+title: "Media Cloud Receives Major NSF Grant!"
+date: 2024-07-01 00:09:00 -0500
+categories: [ "journalism", "ai", "software" ]
+thumbnail: nsf-mc-hndsi-thumb.png
+author: Rahul Bhargava
+---
+
+We’re thrilled to announce that [Media Cloud](https://mediacloud.org) has secured new [NSF HNDS-I grant](https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2341858&HistoricalAwards=false) to take our global news archive and director to the next level! This grant enables us to extend and enhance our searchable news database, which currently includes nearly 2 billion documents. With this funding, we’ll improve infrastructure and introduce new tools to support impactful social science research. Media Cloud is emerging as a piece of critical public data infrastructure to support a wide variety of types of research across disciplines.
+
+Our renewed work aims to provide researchers with unprecedented access to global online news data and powerful new visualizations. Researchers across fields—politics, health communication, economics, disinformation—will be able to track and analyze media narratives and framing with ease. We’re expanding our indexing capabilities, creating more flexible data collections, and improving stability so that the archive is as accessible as it is powerful.
+
+Our commitment to social impact means that non-profits, journalists, and advocacy organizations can also use Media Cloud to support their work in media monitoring, social change, and public health. We’re planning new tutorials and features designed for users new to computational tools.
+
+Stay tuned as we bring you updates on new features, collaborations, and ways to join us in exploring the world’s online news landscapes.

_posts/2024-08-06-data-empowerment-fund-grant.markdown

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+---
+title: "Grant to support AI monitoring of news for human rights violations"
+date: 2024-08-06 00:09:00 -0500
+categories: [ "journalism", "ai", "software" ]
+thumbnail: DEF-grant-thumb.png
+author: Rahul Bhargava
+---
+
+So excited to announce that we've received a grant to support our work on the [Counterdata Network](/projects/counterdata-network) from the [Data Empowerment Fund](https://dataempowerment.fund). Our project builds on a powerful legacy—think of Ida B. Wells using news to expose lynchings in the late 1800s. Today, we’re continuing this tradition by developing AI models that empower advocates to uncover human rights violations more effectively. This involves custom-trained machine learning models to identify relevant events, designed with a focus on equity, localism, and data justice, all using a deeply human-centered approach. Our software tools are actively used by dozens of human rights groups. With this support, we’ll be able to improve their stability and expand our network of partners.
+
+![screenshot describing the project]({{ site.baseurl }}/static/img/posts/DEF-grant.png)
+
+### Pushing Tech Forward
+
+[Our system](http://alerts.dataagainstfeminicide.net) pulls from various online news archives, both open-access and subscription-based, using keywords and dates to fine-tune search. We’re also developing models leveraging techniques like transfer learning and word embeddings and offer [browser extensions](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/data-against-feminicide-h/nimnliogakaliffledlfadpocbmillma) that integrate directly into advocates’ workflows.
+
+### Rethinking the Model
+
+Traditional commercial AI doesn’t meet the needs of these groups, so we’re adopting a co-creation approach, rooted in feminist principles. We’ve spent four years building trust and interviewing community members—often taking months before the first line of code is written. This focus reduces emotional strain and widens the scope of what can be achieved.
+
+### Open Questions
+
+Many questions remain for us: How do we sustain these civic technologies as public goods? What community governance models make sense? And how do we best handle data from social media monopolies? Our hope is to contribute not just tools but also new ways of thinking about AI that align with human rights and justice.
+
+Read more at [Northeastern Global News](https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/08/06/ai-data-collection-human-rights/) or on [the Data Against Feminicide website](http://datoscontrafeminicidio.net).

_projects/2020-11-01-counterdata-network.md

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ Our [open-source software tool-chain](https://github.com/counterdata-network) in
 
 ### Related Posts
 
+* [Grant to support AI monitoring of news for human rights violations](/2024/08/06/data-empowerment-fund-grant.html)
 * [Paper Presentation at ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency](/2022/06/20/participatory-ml-facct-22)
 * [Panel Talk @ Computation + Journalis 2022 Conference](/2022/06/08/c-plus-j-2022)
 * [Panel Talk @ the NULab 2021 Conference](/2021/03/25/good-data-panel.html)

_projects/2020-11-19-data-theatre.md

@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ redirect_from:
 
 Data is historically considered a tool for analytic support through visual interpretation, overlooking the potential of embodied representations. In this work we explore theatre as a path to creating new understandings of information, and bringing people together, to increase collective empowerment and engagement. This builds on well-established patterns of theatrical production such as playback theatre, image theatre, viewpoints, and research-based theatre. These existing practices inform and underlie our attemps to move beyond traditional flat visualizations and leverage experiential modes of understanding to build new types of representation that empower individuals and communities.
 
+Read more abut the [Northeastern Data Theatre Collaborative](https://camd.northeastern.edu/the-data-theatre-collaborative/).
+
 ### Papers and Press
 
 * [From tutors to tax assistance, Northeastern’s Heart of CommUNITY awards honor civic leaders and volunteers](https://news.northeastern.edu/2024/06/15/heart-of-community-awards/) - Cynthia McCormick Hibbert, NGN, May 2024
@@ -22,6 +24,7 @@ Data is historically considered a tool for analytic support through visual inter
 
 ### Related Blog Posts
 
+* [Data Theatre Collaborative wins Heart of CommUNITY Award](/2024/06/15/data-theatre-nu-award.html)
 * [Designing Data Theatre - Learnings From Experts](/2021/05/14/data-theatre-interviews.html)
 * [What does Data Theatre Look Like? — Lessons from Our First Workshops](/2021/04/16/data-theatre-workshops.html)
 * [Data Skits - Learning From Participatory Theatre](/2020/12/03/data-skits-background.html)