Tales Tomaz

I am a senior researcher in the Dept. of Communication Studies at the University of Salzburg.

Research interests:

  • Media, digital platforms and democracy;
  • Media ownership and control;
  • Governance of commercial and commons-based communication platforms.

Past

My doctoral dissertation (University of São Paulo, 2017) compared the meaning of machine communication according to Latour’s and Heidegger’s theoretical frameworks. This research resulted in the publication of some papers, including chapters in the books “The Changing Face of Alterity” (London, Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and “Media Logic(s) Revisited” (New York, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018).

I worked as lecturer for several years in the Brazilian Higher Education, but the conservative turn in my country has rendered working conditions difficult for non-tenured staff with progressive leaning. Then I decided to leave the country and take a position in Salzburg.

Present

Since then, I have worked in many projects. I have assisted in the Media for Democracy Monitor and published several related pieces. See, for example:

I have also assisted in the project European Media and Platform Policy (EuromediApp) and published the article "Brazilian fake news bill: Strong content moderation accountability but limited hold on platform market power", about the Brazilian bill PL 2630, in the journal Javnost.

Currently I manage the pilot project Euromedia Ownership Monitor, co-funded by the EU Commission, in which we disclose and assess the transparency of media ownership relations in all 27 EU member states. Related publications are coming soon.

Future

In my research program, I now intend to go beyond the Western normativity of media and develop a critical normativity of digital communication for emancipation of the Global South. For this, I am integrating decolonial and dependency theory in my theoretical framework. This includes an analyis of the possibilities and shortcomings of digital sovereignty discourses and practices, such as non-commercial digital endeavours. A book chapter and an article about Mastodon will be published in late 2024 as the first outcomes of this research strand.

And if you wanna know more...

I also have teaching and administrative duties, lecturing bachelor and master courses and coordinating Erasmus cooperations with European and Brazilian universities.

Of course, this is a short summary of what I do professionally. If you want to go to the details, including my publications' list, please check my CV below.

In my free time, I like to play guitar (also engaged in spreading the gospel of the Brazilian power metal band Angra), football and to spend time with my children.

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