Technologies engender political dynamics; political dynamics shape technological developments.
The advancement and adoption of digital technologies in the public, private, or third sector open existing infrastructure up to emergent political dynamics; meanwhile, sociopolitical forces influence the development of digital technologies in the first place.
The Political Technologist is here to pull back the curtain on the newly expanding field of political technology. Part cautionary tales, part ode to innovation, it’s a deep dive into the tools, people, networks, strategies, systems, and infrastructures that help build new progressive political movements.
What is The Political Technologist?
The Political Technologist is a multimedia publication that covers the latest developments and trends in political technology. It starts as the collective effort of some 2024-25 Newspeak House fellow candidates and will continue as an independent project.
The Political Technologist produces the following content (non-exhaustive):
Expert commentaries and predictions on the intersection of technology and politics
Newest technological tools built explicitly for political, campaigning, and activism purposes
Interviews with practitioners in the political technology communities
Career, research, and funding opportunities
Political technology events to attend
London clubs and communal houses on technology
Stories in and around the Newspeak House
Editorial thought pieces
Guest op-eds
It currently produces biweekly newsletters on Substack and a periodic magazine.
Who is behind The Political Technologist?
In the alphabetical order of first names, the inaugural editorial board of The Political Technologist consists of:
Alex Papadopoulos: UX Researcher and LGBTQ+ advocate exploring tech, politics, and community-building; co-founder of Queer Wave, Newspeak House fellow candidate.
Casimir Wanot: Software engineer and independent game developer. Previously worked at Sky UK, ExpressVPN.
Claddagh: Interested in R&D, skills, regional inequality and an effective state. fellow candidate @ newspeak house; formerly Imperial -> Oxford -> Parliament -> startup.
David: Interested in how ideas form and propagate online, and how tech can be leveraged to catalyse and scale grassroots power.
Dorcas Nyamwaya
Jyo Iyer : Dissipating the mythos of digital technologies as a researcher
Mel Tranfield: Software engineer in FinTech, interested in politics and technology, especially election tech. Has worked on projects for Campaign Lab, a community that develops election tech tools.
Ollie BM: PhD candidate in the design and use of civic tech in the governance of systems change & consultant and freelance researcher for sustainability initiatives across the public, private, knowledge, and civil society sectors. @olliebreammcintosh on Substack.
Simon Wisdom: Interested in AI ethics, creative coding, personal challenges, and intentional living. Data scientist and community builder.
Tristan Spill: Exploring the world where politics and technology meet.
Yung-Hsuan Wu: A social studies researcher on AI and an algorithmic auditor. @yunghsuanwu on Substack.
Who can write for The Political Technologist?
We welcome anyone who’d like to become a guest contributor to get in touch with us via direct messaging on Substack or emailing us at thepoliticaltechnologist@proton.me.
