Diego Cerna Aragon (dcernaa@mit.edu)

Diego Cerna Aragon is a technology and media researcher from Peru. His work focuses on discourse analysis, expert knowledge and the uses of new technologies. He earned a bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of Lima. In Peru, Diego worked as a communications official and researcher at the Institute of Peruvian Studies, one of the most long-standing think tanks in the country. During this experience, he explored how bureaucrats employed different new technologies, such as digital platforms for technical cooperation and algorithmic systems for socioeconomic classification. Diego has also been involved in political transparency initiatives from civil society. He was part of Open Parliament, a project dedicated to gather, store and publish data from official activities of members of the Peruvian Congress. At MIT, Diego works as a research assistant at the Global Media Technology and Cultures Lab. For his master's thesis, he plans to research the practices employed by experts, journalists, and government officials to combat disinformation in the Peruvian public sphere.