João Carlos Magalhães

Research topic

Civic Voice and Imaginaries of Algorithmic Visibility during the Brazilian Political Crisis

João Carlos Magalhães' research concerns the political and ethical implications of the algorithmic systems which structure digital platforms. More specifically, he looks into how the regimes of visibility made possible by these systems, when imagined by "ordinary" users, are associated with the construction of these users' civic voices. João's empirical entry point into these problems is the current Brazilian political crisis, and how it has transformed the possibilities of citizenship in that country, triggering a massive and polarised wave of politicisation on and through Facebook. He is also keenly interested in Internet governance (particularly in the regulation of algorithmic systems) and in debates about the future of journalism.

Supervisors: Dr Alison Powell and Professor Robin Mansell

Biography

Before starting his PhD, João received a MSc degree (Distinction) from the LSE Department of Media and Communications, with a dissertation on Brazil's "Internet Bill of Rights". Previously, he studied journalism and history and worked as an editor, reporter and correspondent at "Folha de S.Paulo", Brazil's leading newspaper, writing mostly about politics, public policies and human rights. His work was recognised by, among others, the ExxonMobil Awards and the Inter American Press Association Excellence in Journalism Awards. His doctoral research is supported by a LSE PhD Studentship.

Expertise

critical studies of algorithms; political subjectivity; qualitative methods; Brazil