TRIF Fellowship: Exploring the Impact of Social Media on Political Participation

Drawing on the Themes Research and Innovation Fund Strategic Fellowship, I am developing an interdisciplinary research agenda on how social media shapes political participation. This comprises four projects. Firstly, I am examining how social media shapes the conditions of news consumption and and political participation for young citizens (18-24) in England who experience social inequality in their daily lives. Secondly, with Charles Leddy-Owen (University of Portsmouth) and Nora Siklodi (University of Portsmouth), we are analysing how Twitter users reflect on nationhood, identity, and citizenship when crossing an international border. Thirdly, with Susana Sampaio-Dias (University of Portsmouth), we are examining how BuzzFeed and VICE reported the 2017 UK general election to younger audiences. Finally, with Amy P Smith (University of Sheffield) and Nikki Soo (University of Sheffield), we are assessing the value of ethnographic methods for understanding contemporary political communication. These timely studies speak to critical questions surrounding digital media literacy and the impact of social media on democracy.