ARNIC member Matthew Bui writes blog post for the Aspen Institute

Matthew Bui, ARNIC member and fourth-year  Ph.D. student in Annenberg School of Communication, contributed a blog post to the Aspen Institute’s Communication & Society Program site based on his experiences as the 2018 Guest Scholar.

In his blog post, Bui notes that the Aspen Institute’s Communications and Society (C&S) Program “gathers a wide array of stakeholders for its annual communications policy conference, including consumer advocates, telecommunications and technology industry leaders, current and former government employees, and academic researchers.” The Aspen Institute invited Bui as their 2018 Guest Scholar, in which he was invited to “invited to attend, observe, and participate in this year’s conference proceedings and witnessed such conversations and debates unfold firsthand.”

Bui’s blog post elaborates on two key concepts he gained from the event: (1) Consumers, citizens, and civil rights as frames for policy issues, and (2) The need to further integrate citizens, consumers, and advocates within discussion. Read more on  his reflections in his blog  post.

About Matthew Bui

Bui researches the potential for, and obstacles to, social and political change through the use of communication and technology as tools for intervention. He is particularly interested in issues pertaining to diversity and empowerment within urban communities, and how national and international digital policies and initiatives can foster civic engagement and economic development.

The son of immigrant parents, Matt has written, presented, and taught workshops on topics such as texting and conflict resolution, selfies and reciprocity, ethnic identity and narratives, civic engagement, and digital inclusion. Before Annenberg, Matt worked in non-profit marketing and volunteered as a mentor for emerging leaders, many of whom were also first-generation college students. He graduated with honors from UCLA, with a BA in Communications, and recently completed his MSc in Media and Communications at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Matt is greatly interested in utilizing this diverse array of experiences, theories, and methodologies to conduct research with social justice and interventionist aims, and political and policy implications.