Rob Procter

A critical assessment of why today’s information ecosystems are troubling for democracy, this book is based on research in the Global North and Global Majority World on changes in news media, artificial intelligence, and data governance. It focuses on measures to improve the quality of public discourse, protect media freedoms, and ensure the resilience of public institutions. The analysis highlights policies aimed at enhancing the accountability and resilience of information ecosystems in the face of increasing weaponisation of information. Of interest to academics, policymakers, business, and civil society, the book showcases worldwide efforts to tackle Big Tech data extractive and monetisation practices, address news media instability, and ensure artificial intelligence applications are compatible with democratic values. Revised and updated from an earlier report, this book is essential reading for everyone seeking to reimagine what justice in a datafied world could be.

The nature of technical expertise has become increasingly important and problematic in the post-modern era, as structured hierarchies and production methods are revised. Financial services, one of our most important economic sectors, has also been confronting very high degrees of uncertainty that reflect great institutional and market changes. In this fluid and competitive environment technological change - in particular the widening scope of information technology (IT) - has become vitally important. This study is about the strategic uses of IT in retail financial services. It is based on the Scottish part of the industry, a highly cohesive sector in its own right, but one with universal linkages to UK and global finance. A set of seven case studies forms the empirical base, while the study also focuses on key strategic projects within these case companies. The purpose is to arrive at an understanding of how firms develop a strategic approach to IT. This hinges on the management of expertise - the ability to integrate detailed technological expertise with wider organizational and marketing goals. The study examines a number of themes around this key issue: the process of formation of IT strategy, sectorial influences on the implementation of computer-based systems, and the occupational and career factors that shape IT expertise.