Faculty Profile: Ethan Zuckerman

Ethan Zuckerman, Associate Professor of Public Policy, Communication, and Information, Research Director of the Public Interest Technology Initiative at UMass Amherst (PIT@UMASS), and Director of the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure. Professor Zuckerman's work focuses on the use of media as a tool for social change, the role of technology in international development, and the use of new media technology by activists. 

A prolific writer, Professor Zuckerman has authored two books. Published in 2013, Rewire: Digital Cosmopolitans in the Age of Connection confronts the early expectation of digital spaces bringing the world closer together, only for many users to feel more isolated and polarised; however, some users have found ways to change their media consumption and production and create the types of connections envisioned in the early days of the internet. Mistrust: Why Losing Faith in Institutions Provides the Tools to Transform Them, published in 2021, is a guidebook to activism and change during a time when the public is losing faith in its institutions. In addition to his books, Professor Zuckerman regularly contributes to a number of publications, including The Atlantic, Wired, and CNN. 

Prior to his work at UMass Amherst, Professor Zuckerman served as the Director of the Center for Civic Media and Associate Professor of Practice in Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab. He is the Co-Founder of Global Voices, a showcase of news and opinions from citizen media in more than 150 nations and 30 languages, and the Founder of Geekcorps, an international nonprofit volunteer organization connecting IT specialists with project in developing nations. 

To learn more about Professor Zuckerman, visit his directory profile.