Pierson, Jo

I gladly accept my nomination for a second term as member of the IAMCR International Council. I have been an active member since 1998 (Glasgow). Being vice-chair (2004-2008) and chair (2008-2016) of the Communication Policy & Technology Section (CPT), and elected IC member (2016-2020) has given me 16 years of governance experience. In that way I have firsthand understanding of “on the ground” concerns and exigencies of Sections and Working Groups. In my first IC term I have been particularly active as member of the Scholarly Review Committee (SRC), focussing on S/WG performance reporting and developing tools for improving academic rigor. In case of re-election, my aim is to further strengthen the position and identity of our Association, with special attention to academic quality, internal governance, scholarly inclusion and societal impact.

I am currently Full Professor in the Department of Media and Communication Studies at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium, holding the Research Chair in ‘Data Protection on the Ground’. I am also staff member of the research centre imec-SMIT (Studies on Media, Innovation and Technology), since 1996. My main teaching and research expertise are in critical socio-technical study of online platforms, algorithms, data privacy and citizen empowerment.

Nominated by 

• Oscar Gandy Jr., University of Pennsylvania, United States
• Tom Jacobson, Temple University, United States
• Stefania Milan, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands