Diego Cerna Aragon (ODL researcher 2020-2021) 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 worked as a research assistant at the Global Media Technology and Cultures Lab from 2019-2020 and currently works as a research assistant at MIT’s Open Documentary Lab. For his master’s thesis, he plans to explore the representation of economic expertise in Peruvian media.