William Uricchio on the Colonization of the Data-Imaginary in the Public Service Sector

Among media historians, William Uricchio, professor of Comparative Media Studies at MIT and emeritus professor at Utrecht University, is known primarily for his work on the histories of all kinds of (formerly) ‘new’ media. In recent years, he has been preoccupied, among many other topics, with the cultural use of algorithms, specifically in such settings as public archives or by such institutions as public broadcasters.

In a conversation on the topic, he talks about his concerns for the present and future of data use. In doing so, he also builds on some long-term interests: in imaginations of television present and past, and in forms of ‘Americanization’ in the media.