Social Media and Politics

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Social Media and Politics is a podcast bringing you innovative, first-hand insights into how social media is changing the political game. Subscribe for interviews and analysis with politicians, academics, and leading digital strategists to get their take on how social media influences the ways we en…

Michael Bossetta


    • May 25, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 46m AVG DURATION
    • 183 EPISODES

    4.8 from 24 ratings Listeners of Social Media and Politics that love the show mention: interesting podcast, social media, i'm so glad, politics, definitely recommend, insightful, understand, must listen, information, found, topics, informative, michael bossetta.


    Ivy Insights

    The Social Media and Politics podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology and political campaigning. Hosted by Michael Bossetta, this podcast dives deep into the world of social media and its impact on politics, with substantive discussions and great guests.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the quality of the content. Each episode is informative and insightful, providing a thorough analysis of the role of social media in both political spheres and day-to-day life. Bossetta does an excellent job of exploring various topics related to social media, such as the democratic and transnational nature of social media platforms, the complexities of the dark web, and the influence of media on our lives. The interviews are topical and interesting, providing fresh perspectives from professionals in the field.

    Another great aspect of this podcast is its accessibility to all listeners. Whether you are a politics nerd or someone who isn't well-versed in social media, Bossetta presents the material in a way that is easy to understand and engage with. Even for those who are not active on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram, this podcast offers valuable insights into their importance in politics and society.

    One potential downside to this podcast could be its focus solely on technology in political campaigning. While this is certainly a fascinating topic, some listeners may find themselves wanting a broader range of subjects or more diverse content.

    In conclusion, The Social Media and Politics podcast delivers fresh, interesting, and relevant content for anyone interested in how modern social media practices are playing out in politics. With its thorough analysis, diverse perspectives from professionals in the field, and accessible presentation style, this podcast is highly recommended for both politics enthusiasts and those looking to understand the impact of social media on our society.



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    Latest episodes from Social Media and Politics

    Detecting Disinformation, Fake Accounts, and Inauthentic Behavior on Social Media, with Dan Brahmy

    Play Episode Listen Later May 25, 2025 38:23


    Dan Brahmy, Co-Founder and CEO at Cyabra, discusses the cutting-edge in disinformation monitoring. Dan shares some of Cyabra's work around the new pope, the tariff war, and narratives following the Trump assassination attempt. We discuss how monitoring works technically, what type of attributes are used to classify accounts as inauthentic, and how source attribution can be identified through patterns. Special thanks to Jill Burkes, PR and Communications lead at Cyabra, for setting up and contributing to the episode!  Here's the link to Cyabra's newsletter.

    Youth Political Expression on Social Media, with Dr. Neta Kligler-Vilenchik and Dr. Ioana Literat

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2025 48:44


    Dr. Neta Kligler-Vilenchik and Dr. Ioana Literat share research from their new book Not Your Parent's Politics: Understanding Young People's Political Expression on Social Media.We discuss how young people use social media such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to experiment with their political identity, even if they are too young to vote.  Examples from the 2016 US election, Black Lives Matter protests, and climate anxiety help illustrate the various ways that youth express their political opinions across social media platforms. We also discuss how to approach these expressions from a democratic and citizenship perspective. Dr. Kligler-Vilenchik is Associate Professor of Communication and Journalism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.Dr. Literat is an Associate Professor in the Communication, Media and Learning Technologies Design program at Teachers College, Columbia University.

    Journalism, Digital Fragmentation, and Fact-checking, with Neil Brown

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2025 49:25


    Neil Brown, President of the Poytner Institute for Media Studies, discusses the challenges facing journalism. We discuss the concept of media trust, changing revenue models, and the challenges for journalism posed by digital fragmentation. Neil also shares his thoughts on fact-checking and Politifact.com, and we end with a discussion of AI's implications for journalism. 

    AI and Political Campaigns, with Dr. Michael D. Cohen

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 42:00


    Dr. Michael D. Cohen, CEO of Cohen Research Group and author of Modern Political Campaigns, shares how artificial intelligence is impacting political campaigns. We discuss how AI is like an automated staffer, and what types of human involvement is still needed to craft a winning strategy. We also examine AI's role in generating copy like social media posts and speeches, as well as how it can be used for qualitative data analysis such as focus groups. In addition, we consider how AI relates to trending concepts such as authenticity and political polarization. Get a copy of the 2nd edition of Modern Political Campaigns on Amazon or directly through the publisher.And you can listen to a broader discussion of the book in an earlier episode. 

    Political Polling in a Partisan United States, with Doug Kaplan

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 2, 2025 29:12


    Doug Kaplan, President of Kaplan Strategies, discusses the utility of political polling for local, state, and national races. We discuss the value of polls when partisanship is high, the changing political communication landscape, and Florida as a Republican stronghold (for now). 

    Digital Media Metaphors and Social Media Buzzwords, with Dr. Johan Farkas and Dr. Marcus Maloney

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 5, 2025 44:16


    Dr. Johan Farkas and Dr. Marcus Maloney discuss how the language used to describe digital media frames our understanding and the actions of policymakers. We break down how terms like "toxic", "trolls", and "filter bubbles" are often used uncritically and limit how we understand the relationships between digital media and social problems like misogyny, racism, and harassment. Here's a link to the book discussed in the episode: Digital Media Metaphors: A Critical Introduction (2024)

    2024 Year in Review! Social Media and Politics, with Dr. Anamaria Dutceac Segesten

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2024 109:17


    The 9th Annual Social Media and Politics Year in Review! This year, we cover the platforms' year in review reports, election interference in Romania, the battle over text and the "eXodus", and social media bans for teenagers. Here are links to resources discussed in the episode, and see you in 2025!Platform Reports:MetaTikTokSnapPinterestTwitchGooglePornhub

    Political Influencers in the 2024 US Election and Beyond, with Ryan Davis

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2024 43:37


    Ryan Davis, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at People First, guests for a debrief on content creators in the 2024 US election. We discuss content creator strategies between the two parties, how influencers have become professionalized, and what this means for communications and elections going forward. Advertising, authenticity, and power flows are constantly in flux in this environment, and the very conceptions of old and new media are being challenged. A space to watch!Check out People First's Substack to keep in the loop, and Ryan's Travel Podcast just for fun :)

    Media Systems, Digital Media, and the Hybridity Cycle, with Prof. Daniel Hallin

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2024 38:27


    Professor Daniel C. Hallin, Distinguished Professor of Communication at UC San Diego, shares his thoughts on media systems and how digital media relates to the concept. We discuss the components of a 'system' and current debates around the concept of 'hybridity' in media studies. This leads to a broader discussion of conceptual stretching, media capture, and how single case studies can be made comparative through dialogue with existing scholarship. The recording took place while Prof. Hallin was a Visiting Professor at the Department of Communication and Media at Lund. Here are the two articles we discuss in the episode: Comparative Research, System Change, and the Complexity of Media Systems (2020)The Concept of Hybridity in Journalism Studies (2023)

    Countering Project 2025 with Google Search Ads, with Kindred Motes

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2024 36:45


    Kindred Motes, Founder and Managing Partner at KM Strategies Group (KMSG), shares his advocacy work  to counter the online reach of Project 2025. Working with the  Global Project Against Hate and Extremism, KMSG launched a paid campaign on Google Search before Project 2025 became mainstream. Kindred shares how TikTok played a role in catalyzing Project 2025 as a political issue, as well as some of the challenges that nonprofits face in running digital ad campaigns. We also discuss the benefits and trade-offs of social media for advocacy work, and end with some practical tips for how nonprofits can effectively communicate in today's fragmented media landscape. 

    Web Browsing Data to Study Digital Political Behavior, with Prof. Sebastian Stier

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2024 36:42


    Prof. Sebastian Stier, Scientific Director of Computational Social Science at GESIS and Professor of CSS at the University of Mannheim, discusses how web tracking data can inform social science questions.  We discuss the data structure of web browsing data, how it is collected, and the types of incentives used to recruit participants. Prof. Stier also shares his insights and research integrating web browsing data with survey data, as well as how LLMs are opening up new methodological avenues in simulated data.Here are the resources mentioned in the episode: Analysis of Web Browsing Data: A Guide (2023)Integrating Survey Data and Digital Trace Data: Key Issues in Developing an Emerging Field (2020)Post Post-Broadcast Democracy? News Exposure in the Age of Online Intermediaries (2022)The two R packages: webtrackR and adaR

    Micro-Influencer Marketing for Political Campaigns, with Ryan Davis

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2024 39:46


    Ryan Davis, Co-Founder of People First, discusses how "micro-influencers" or "micro-creators" are being used in political campaigns. We discuss the benefits of using micro-influencers for engagement, as well as how they can be used to target specific blocks of voters. Ryan also shares how these creators can inform the political strategy of campaigns through panels and focus groups, and how the comments to creators' content can reveal themes and sentiments important for the campaign. Here's a list of resources on micro-influencers written by Ryan and People First: White paper on micro-influencers 2024 election guide on micro-influencersIn-and-outs of influencer outreachAn overview of influencer trends

    Far Right Women Influencers on YouTube and Instagram, with Dr. Eviane Leidig

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2024 43:53


    Dr. Eviane Leidig, Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at Tilburg University, discusses her book "The Women of the Far Right: Social Media Influencers and Online Radicalization." We break down the role of social media for the alt-right movement, and how platforms like Instagram and YouTube work to mainstream extremist views. These insights come from Dr. Leidig's research conducting digital ethnography on women influencers prominent on the American Right. 

    Wikipedia Public Relations for Politics, Brands, and Crisis Communication, with Rhiannon Ruff

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2024 48:09


    Rhiannon Ruff, Wikipedia Expert and Founding Partner at Lumino, discusses how politicians and brands can effectively manage their Wikipedia presence. We discuss why Wikipedia is important for Google Search and AI like ChatGPT, and how the tone, norms, and editors of Wikipedia make editing your own page difficult. Rhi shares her tips on how to manage a Wikipedia page in the right way, and why that's crucial for politicians and political parties. Here's a list of links discussed in the episode:Rhi's book on Wikipedia and Crisis CommunicationsRhi's column on Why Wikipedia can be a PR Problem for Political CampaignsStanford Internet Observatory Report on Wikipedia and Elections in British ColumbiaA bit more on the infamous Alan MacMaster's!

    Race, Racism, and Resistance on Social Media, with Dr. Rob Eschmann

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2024 40:19


    Dr. Rob Eschmann, Associate Professor of Social Work at Columbia University, discusses his latest book When the Hood Comes Off: Racism and Resistance in the Digital Age (University of California Press). We cover how social media works to unmask everyday experiences of racism, and how this affects student life at American universities. Dr. Eschmann also shares his research on social media, racial microaggressions, and Black Twitter; thoughts on TikTok and algorithmic bias; and how resisting racism requires engaging in conversation.  

    Data-Driven Campaigning: How Political Campaigns use Data, Analytics, and Technology

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 11, 2024 50:29


    Prof. Kate Dommett, Professor of Digital Politics at the University of Sheffield, and Dr. Simon Kruschinski, Postdoctoral Researcher in Communication at the University of Mainz, discuss their new book: Data-Driven Campaigning and Political Parties.We discuss the book's theoretical framework on how system-level, regulatory-level, and party-level factors explain variation in data-driven campaigning across five democracies: the US, UK, Canada, Germany, and Australia. Prof. Dommett and Dr. Kruschinski also break down their findings on how data, analytics, targeting, and personnel differ across these five cases, and how regulation might need to focus on broader structures in the electoral system to minimize the potential harms of campaign practices. 

    China's Digital Strategy for Information Control, with Dr. Andrew MacDonald

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2024 44:31


    Dr. Andrew W. MacDonald, Assistant Professor of Social Science at Duke Kunshan University, shares research from his new book Directed Digital Dissidence in Autocracies: How China Wins Online. We discuss the Chinese digital and social media context, citizens' perceptions of online propaganda, and how the state manipulates digital information to further its political interests. We also discuss survey methodology, how citizens circumvent the Great Firewall, and what affect using the internet and VPNs has on trust in the state. 

    2023 Year in Review! Social Media and Politics, with Dr. Anamaria Dutceac Segesten

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2023 97:01


    The 8th Annual Social Media and Politics Year in Review! This year, we cover the platforms' year in review reports, AI for political communication, the creator economy, and EU concerns around disinformation and cyberattacks. Here are links to resources discussed in the episode, and see you in 2024!Platform Reports:MetaInstagramTikTokRedditPinterestSnapTwitchGoogleYouTubePornhub InsightsJimmie Åkesson's Arabic Deepfake 

    Democracy, Architecture, and Social Media, with Dr. Jennifer Forestal

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2023 40:32


    Dr. Jennifer Forestal, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago, discusses how digital platforms can be approached from an architectural perspective. Dr. Forestal shares insights from her latest book, Designing for Democracy, where she evaluates digital platforms' democratic potential from the lens of political theory. The episode breaks down a framework for how to assess the democratic quality of social media platforms by examining their degrees of boundaries, durability, and flexibility. Dr. Forestal reveals how these properties can be illustrated by the cases of Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. 

    Covid Vaccine Hesitancy in Sweden, with Dr. Mia-Marie Hammarlin

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 8, 2023 46:25


    Dr. Mia-Marie Hammarlin, Senior Lecturer in Media and Communication at Lund University, shares her research on vaccine hesitancy in Sweden. We discuss the major themes of coronavirus vaccine skepticism on the Swedish online forum Flashback, as well as Dr. Hammarlin's ethnographic research meeting with vaccine hesitant communities. Here are links to Dr. Hammarlin's research mentioned in the episode:COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Mixed Methods Investigation of Matters of Life and Death (2023)I bonded with COVID vaccine sceptics over saunas and Mother Earth rituals (2023)And check out HT-samtal, a podcast on humanities research from Lund! 

    Political Persuasion and the Effects of Targeted Social Media Ads, with Dr. Alexander Coppock

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 24, 2023 41:38


    Dr. Alexander Coppock, Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale University, shares his research on measuring the political effects of persuasive information. We discuss how political persuasion affects voters holding different viewpoints, the durability of these effects over time, and how much political ads seem to affect voters' political attitudes. Here are Dr. Coppock's research studies discussed in the episode: Persuasion in Parallel: How Information Changes Minds about Politics (2022)The small effects of political advertising are small regardless of context, message, sender, or receiver (2020)Does digital advertising affect vote choice? Evidence from a randomized field experiment (2022)The impact of digital advertising on turnout during the 2020 US presidential election (Pre-print, 2022) 

    Cross-Cutting Expression on Social Media: Brexit on Facebook, with Dr. Anamaria Dutceac Segesten

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2023 58:05


    Dr. Anamaria Dutceac Segesten, Associate Professor in Strategic Communication at Lund University, joins a discussion of cross-cutting expression and its implications for digital campaigning on Facebook. On the theory side, we discuss concepts of online self-expression and cross-pressures. We also discuss how political ideology can be inferred from Facebook reactions such as 'likes' and 'loves'. Finally, we discuss what topic models of the Brexit debate around Facebook can reveal about how and what Facebook users discussed around the referendum. Links to the paper and supplementary material: Reconceptualizing Cross-Cutting Political Expression on Social Media: A Case Study of Facebook Comments During the 2016 Brexit Referendum (2023)Supplementary Material

    Negative Campaigning on Facebook in EU Elections, Cross-Platform Extremism, and Dissonant Public Spheres, with Prof. Ulrike Klinger

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2023 48:49


    Prof. Ulrike Klinger, Professor for Digital Democracy at the European New School for Digital Studies at European University Viadrina, shares her latest research on negative campaigning on social media. We discuss some of the challenges in studying digital communication in the EU, as well as what explains a rise in negative campaigning across two European Parliament elections. Prof. Klinger also shares her research on the UN Global Compact for Migration, where extremist ideas from the Identitarian movement were picked up by the mainstream media. Lastly, we discuss Prof. Klinger's suggestions for increasing researcher data access ahead of the Digital Services Act. Here are links to the studies discussed in the episode:  Are Campaigns Getting Uglier, and Who Is to Blame? Negativity, Dramatization and Populism on Facebook in the 2014 and 2019 EP Election Campaigns (2023)From the fringes into mainstream politics: intermediary networks and movement-party coordination of a global anti-immigration campaign in Germany (2022)Delegated Regulation on Data Access Provided for the Digital Services Act (2023)Political Communication Special Issue: Digital Campaigning in Dissonant Public Spheres (2023)

    Connecting Social Media Influencers with Political Campaigns, with Zach Fang

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2023 29:17


    Zach Fang, Head of Sales and Business Development at Vocal Media, shares how the start-up is building a database of social media influencers to connect with political campaigns and organizations. We discuss what makes TikTok influencers a different type of political advertising and how their costs stack up to traditional broadcast and social media. Zach also shares what's happening with influencers on Twitch, Discord, and YouTube shorts, and how influencers may turn from awareness raising to organizing. Here's a link to the study mentioned in the episode. 

    Digital Media Trends in American Political Campaigns, with Russell Mindich

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2023 28:06


    Russell Mindich, political consultant and author of the 2022 Political Tech Landscape Report, shares his insights on the role of social media in political campaigning. We discuss social media influencers and how campaigns are connecting to them on TikTok, the move towards politicla advertising on streaming services, and the potential uses of ChatGPT and other generative AI for politics. Here's a link to the Analyst Institute, mentioned in the episode. 

    Social Media, Democracy, and National Security, with Jenny Reich

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2023 34:05


    Jenny Reich, Fellow at the Georgetown Law Center on National Security, discusses the Center's recent report entitled Social Media: The Canary in the Coal Mine. We dive into the potential security risks posed by digital technology developments as well as the report's recommendations for addressing them at the levels of government, the tech industry, and civil society. The report brings together various stakeholders to shed insight on the core democratic values of the United States, the major threats posed by technological advancements, and first steps toward developing regulatory frameworks and civil society resilience to meet these threats in ways that safeguard democracy and American national security interests. 

    Progressive Big Tech Regulation and Advocacy, with Adam Kovacevich

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 5, 2023 39:16


    Adam Kovacevich, Founder and CEO of Chamber of Progress, shares his trade association's goals for progressive advocacy in the tech sector. We discuss the politicization of 'Big Tech' and  recent opinion polls about Midterm voters' attitudes towards tech regulation. We also discuss how First Amendment rights apply to tech companies, misperceptions of the techlash, and partisan differences in moderating misinformation and free speech. Extra Links:President Biden's op-ed in WSJAdam's presentation on Chamber of Progress' Midterm PollEpisode #49 on CCIA and Tech Trade Associations

    Political Targeting, Strategic Communication, and Democracy, with Prof. Sanne Kruikemeier

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2023 35:49


    Prof. Sanne Kruikemeier, Professor of Digital Media and Society at Wageningen University & Research, discusses her latest research on political targeting. We discuss how political targeting differs in EU and US contexts, how perceptions of targeting affect voters' democratic perceptions, and what types of issues parties strategically communicate during election campaigns. Here are the studies discussed in the episode: Data-driven campaigning and democratic disruption: Evidence from six advanced democracies (2022)Understanding the democratic role of perceived online political micro-targeting (2022)(Tar)getting you: The use of online political targeted messages on Facebook (2022)

    Digital Political Advertising Beyond Social Media, with Megan Clasen

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 8, 2023 52:09


    Megan Clasen, Partner at Gambit Strategies, shares her insights into digital political advertising for persuasion and mobilization. We discuss the role of social media ads relative to CTV and OTT advertising, as well as how political ads compete with corporate brands for inventory on these services. Megan also shares her experiences with Facebook's ad 'blackout' period during the 2020 campaign and how the Biden campaign responded to countering Trump's advertisements. ...And much more! 

    2022 Year in Review! Social Media and Politics, with Dr. Anamaria Dutceac Segesten

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2022 206:58


    The 7th Annual Social Media and Politics Podcast Year in Review! A Mega Episode with lots of knowledge bombs - you'll simply have to listen to hear them all!Here is a gift of all the platform year in review reports: Facebook: Protecting People from Online Threats in 2022Instagram: 2023 Instagram Trend ReportGoogle: Year in SearchTikTok: 1)  Year on TikTok: 2022, truly #ForYouTikTok: 2) What's Next 2023 Trend ReportPinterest: Pinterest Predicts 2022Reddit: Reddit Recap 2022Snapchat: Year End 2022Pornhub: 2022 Year in ReviewAnd the two clips played in the episode: SNL BeReal SkitZelensky DeepfakeSee you in January for new episodes! Share your thoughts or questions @SMandPPodcastKeep downloading,  listening, and learning!

    Social Media, Citizen Journalism, and Activism in Africa, with Prof. Bruce Mutsvairo

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2022 38:06


    Prof. Bruce Mutsvairo, Professor of Media and Politics at Utrecht University, shares his insights on the role of social media and politics on the African continent. We discuss digital activism across countries, how structures like data bundles might lead to surveillance, and the growing role of influencers as reporters of news. The Special Issue call for citizen journalists is here (I'll update the link as soon as it's live!). Here are the studies we discuss in the episode:The Janus face of social media and democracy? Reflections on Africa (2020)Is citizen journalism dead? An examination of recent developments in the field (2020)

    Data-driven Campaigning with Polling and Focus Groups in American Elections, with Zac McCrary

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2022 62:34


    Zac McCrary, Partner at Impact Research and host of the Pro Politics podcast, shares his insights on how American campaigns leverage polling and focus groups to craft a winning message. We discuss the upcoming 2022 US midterm elections, the (still) dominant role of television in political advertising, how social media fits into the picture, and how smart phones have changed polling into a multimodal endeavor. 

    Cross-Platform Visual Campaigning on Social Media: Emotions in Political Candidates' Facebook and Instagram Images

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2022 61:15


    In this episode, it's just me! I present a recently published study, co-authored with Rasmus Schmøkel and published in Political Communication, that analyzes US Presidential campaigns' emotion expression across Facebook and Instagram. I'll explain the theoretical backdrop of the study, give an overview of the state-of-the-art on visual political communication, and communicate the study's methods and key results. Hope you enjoy this one-on-one episode! Here's a link to the study (feel free to share around): Cross-Platform Emotions in Social Media Political Campaigning: Comparing Candidates' Facebook and Instagram Images in the 2020 US Election (2022)  

    Data Journalism to Report Social Media and Politics, with Aleszu Bajak

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2022 51:58


    Aleszu Bajak, Senior Data Reporter at USA Today, discusses his reporting on social media and politics using computational methods. We talk about the types of data that data journalists are working with, how they acquire it (e.g., Freedom of Information Requests), and how they approach reporting results in a way that tells an engaging story. We also dive into some of Aleszu's recent reporting, such as Parler reactions to Donald Trump's speech on January 6th, inequalities in Covid vaccinations, and the polarization of Congressional political rhetoric on social media over time. Here are some links to the stories we discuss in the episode: 'Hope' is out, 'Fight' is in: Does Tweeting Divide Congress, or Simply Echo its Divisions? When Trump Started his Speech before the Capital Riot, Talk on Parler turned to Civil WarHow Critical Race Theory went from Conservative Battle Cry to Mainstream Powder KegAnd here's Aleszu's talk on tracking politics with data journalism - highly recommend! 

    Swedish Elections 2022, Political Communication, and Social Media, with Dr. Nils Gustafsson

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2022 45:46


    Dr. Nils Gustafsson, Senior Lecturer of Strategic Communication at Lund University, discusses the run-up to the 2022 Swedish Elections and then findings from his research. First, we chat about the main political issues that Swedes are voting on, as well as how political parties and party leaders are digital campaigning on social media. Then, Dr. Gustafsson shares findings from three of his research projects. We discuss how Facebook was viewed as a tool for participation when it first became widely adopted in Sweden, how rejection sensitivity might affect political expression online, and how media narratives about polarization in Swedish media have changed over time. Here are links to the two published studies we discuss in the episode: The Subtle Nature of Facebook Politics: Swedish Social Network Site Users and Political Participation (2012)A Social Safety Net? Rejection Sensitivity and Political Opinion Sharing among Young People in Social Media (2018)

    Social Media, Information Markets, and the Attention Economy, with Prof. Vincent Hendricks

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 4, 2022 44:35


    Prof. Vincent Hendricks, Professor of Formal Philosophy at the University of Copenhagen, discusses his new book The Ministry of Truth: Big Tech's Influence over Facts, Feelings, and Fictions.Prof. Hendricks shares how social media are like investment banks in the attention economy, how information is packaged and sold, and what Big Tech's growing influence on critical infrastructure means for politics and society. 

    Machine Learning the Facebook URLs Dataset to Study News Credibility, with Dr. Tom Paskhalis

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2022 42:42


    Dr. Tom Paskhalis, Assistant Professor in Political and Data Science at Trinity College Dublin, shares his research on applying machine learning to the Facebook URLs Dataset from Social Science One. The project develops a model to label whether a news domain is credible or not based on Facebook interactions data. We discuss the Facebook URLs dataset, what types of machine learning techniques were applied to it, and how the model performed across the US and EU countries. 

    Anti-Immigration YouTube Videos: Tactics and Narratives, with Shauna Siggelkow

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 7, 2022 45:10


    Shauna Siggelkow, Director of Digital Storytelling at Define American, discusses a new report on anti-immigration YouTube videos: 'Immigration will Destroy Us and Other Talking Points.'We break down the report, which identifies a network of viral YouTube videos promoting narratives associated with the Great Replacement Theory. Shauna also shares findings from experiments that test how different genres, animation styles, and messengers can effectively communicate political issues. Check out the toolkit for communicating pro-immigration messages (and other types of political content) on digital and social media.

    Social Media Influencers and Politics, Environmental Behavior, and Covid Misinformation, with Dr. Desirée Schmuck

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2022 43:44


    Dr. Desirée Schmuck, Assistant Professor at the Department of Mass Communication at KU Leuven, shares her research on social media influencers and their effects on users' political attitudes and behavior. We break down three of Dr. Schmuck's studies. The first focuses on how exposure to political influencer content affects young social media users' behavior, both in terms of formal electoral participation and environmental sustainability. The second examines how influencers might affect users' perceived simplification of politics, and how that perception influences users' political cynicism and interest. The third study is an experiment that seeks to understand how misinformation from lifestyle influencers could affect female social media users' attitudes toward covid and trust in public health information. Here are links to the studies we discuss in the episode: The Mobilizing Power of Influencers for Pro-Environmental Behavior Intentions and Political Participation (2022)Politics–Simply Explained? How Influencers Affect Youth's Perceived Simplification of Politics, Political Cynicism, and Political Interest (2022)Responses to Social Media Influencers' Misinformation about COVID-19: A Pre-Registered Multiple-Exposure Experiment (2022)And if you're interested in political influencers, check out our episode on political influencers in the Biden 2020 campaign.

    Political Tech Incubators in American Digital Campaigning, with Eric Wilson

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2022 33:35


    Eric Wilson, Managing Partner at Startup Caucus and Host of The Business of Politics Show, discusses political tech incubators and their emerging role in US digital campaigning. We chat about how the Republican and Democratic Party need different tech solutions for different campaigning styles, the need for start-up campaigning firms, and the potential impact of Web3 on future political campaigns. Here's the link to Eric's blog post on Web3. Subscribe to The Business of Politics Show! 

    Technology Disruption, Democracy, and Principled Platform Regulation, with Prof. Lance Bennett

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2022 42:38


    Prof. Lance Bennett, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Communication at the University of Washington, discusses the types of principled values that should guide platform regulation. We reflect on the disruptive ethos of tech companies and what that means for democracy. We also discuss theories of capitalism, recent changes in data privacy and third-party tracking, as well as the connection between digital technologies and protest parties. The article we discuss in the episode is Killing the Golden Goose: A Framework for Regulating Disruptive Technologies. 

    Challenging Covid Vaccine Misinformation on Private Social Media, with Prof. Andrew Chadwick

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2022 58:18


    Prof. Andrew Chadwick, Professor of Communication at Loughborough University, shares insights from his new public research report: Covid Vaccines and Online Personal Messaging: The Challenge of Challenging Everyday Misinformation. The report explores how British citizens use private social messaging apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger, and in particular how they experience and engage with coronavirus misinformation across private group chats on these platforms. We discuss the hybrid character of this engagement, the role of quantitative research in project designs, and person-centered solutions to countering misinformation on private social media.

    Comparing Digital Political Communication across Countries and Time, with Prof. Anders Olof Larsson

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2022 43:35


    Prof. Anders Olof Larsson, Professor of Communication at Kristiania University College, shares his comparative social media research on party communication. We start out with a macro-level look at political parties' adoption of Facebook and Instagram across Europe, before focusing more specifically on Scandinavia. Prof. Larsson discusses the pros and cons of political merch contests in driving engagement, and how hashtag network structures have evolved over time on Facebook and Instagram in Norway. We also discuss post virality and Prof. Larsson's work comparing viral posts in Norway across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. Here are the studies mentioned in the episode: Longitudinal studies of European party communication: Picture-perfect populism: Tracing the rise of European populist parties on Facebook (2022)The rise of Instagram as a tool for political communication: A longitudinal study of European political parties and their followers (2021)Studies using Norwegian data:‘Win a sweater with the PM'S face on it' – A longitudinal study of Norwegian party Facebook engagement strategies (2020)‘Coherent clusters' or ‘fuzzy zones' – Understanding attention and structure in online political participation (2019)Winning and losing on social media: Comparing viral political posts across platforms (2019)

    Rating News Credibility with Algorithms, with Arjun Moorthy

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2022 56:42


    Arjun Moorthy, co-founder and CEO of The Factual, discusses how machine learning and natural language processing can rank news for credibility. Arjun breaks down the criteria underpinning The Factual's rating system as well as how it tries to minimize bias. We talk about some of the pitfalls of optimizing news for engagement, as well as how anonymity in a different incentive structure affects discourse around discussing news. Towards the end of the episode, we discuss the current state of AI in the newsroom, and how automation might affect news consumption in the future. Check out the Unbiased Podcast!And test out The Factual's engine at IsThisCredible.com

    Social Media and the War in Ukraine, with Prof. Joshua Tucker

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2022 39:38


    Joshua Tucker, Professor of Politics at NYU and Co-Director of the Center for Social Media and Politics, discusses social media's impact on the invasion of Ukraine. We talk about 'information theaters' of operation and how they differ across the West, Ukraine, Russia, and China. Prof. Tucker also shares his thoughts on Volodymyr Zelensky's teleconferencing, the Biden administration's pre-bunking strategy towards disinformation, multinational corporations' actions towards sanctions, and Vladimir Putin's isolation. And more! Here are links to prior episodes on Ukraine:Volodymyr Zelensky's Social Media Strategy in the 2019 Ukraine ElectionsRussian Disinformation and Social Media in Ukraine

    Political Leader Evaluations on Instagram and Emotions in Covid Crisis Communication, with Dr. Jenny Lindholm

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2022 43:20


    Dr. Jenny Lindholm, University Teacher and Researcher in Political Science, Media, and Communication at Åbo Akademi University, discusses her research on visual political communication. First, we break down Dr. Lindholm's eye-tracking experiment on how party leaders' Instagram photos affect viewers' trait perceptions of leaders. The focus is on where viewers of these images give their visual attention, and whether that differs across public versus private photos as well as the gender of party leaders. Then, we discuss another study focusing on the emotion communication of the Finnish Prime Minister during coronavirus crisis communication in press conferences. Here are the two studies we discuss in the episode:See Me, Like Me! Exploring Viewers' Visual Attention to and Trait Perceptions of Party Leaders on Instagram (2021)Emotionell räddning? Visuell kriskommunikation under coronakrisens inledande skede – fallet Finland (2021)

    Mobile News Consumption: How Smartphone News Exposure Affects Political Knowledge, with Dr. Jakob Ohme

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2022 53:32


    Dr. Jakob Ohme, Senior Researcher at the Weizenbaum Institute, discusses his research on mobile news consumption. Dr. Ohme breaks down how exposure to political news on a smartphone might differ from a desktop, and he breaks down results from a recent eye-tracking study exploring the topic. We also discuss how smartphones can be used for data collection, through Dr. Ohme's research using a smartphone media diary as well as data from the iOS Screen Time function. The studies discussed in the episode are: Mobile News Learning: Investigating Political Knowledge Gains in a Social Media Newsfeed with Mobile Eye Tracking (2021)Mobile Data Donations: Assessing Self-report Accuracy and Sample Biases with the iOS Screen Time Function (2020)Mobile but Not Mobilized? Differential Gains from Mobile News Consumption for Citizens' Political Knowledge and Campaign Participation (2020)

    2021 Year in Review! Social Media and Politics, with Dr. Anamaria Dutceac Segesten

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 22, 2021 211:36


    Here we go! A deep dive into the year's latest trends in social media and politics, as well as predictions for the future. We cover various platforms' year in review recaps, Telegram and Belarus, Facebook's change to Meta and the Silicon Valley "Founder", artificial intelligence and the virtual politician, Web 3 and Parler, and the enduring role of newsletters. Here's the platform year in review stats and bonus links for the episode: Facebook Threat ReportGoogle Year in SearchTiktok Cultural PhenomenonsPinterest PredictsReddit RecapSnap Lens on the YearTwitter #OnlyOnTwitterArticle with chart on social media's impact on democracyThe greatest newsletter of all-time See you in January for new episodes!

    Right-Wing Alternative Media and Republican Party Social Media Engagement, with Dr. Curd Knüpfer and Mike Cowburn

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 28, 2021 36:38


    Dr. Curd Knüpfer (Assistant Professor) and Mike Cowburn (PhD Candidate), from the JFK Institute for North American Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, discuss their research on right-wing alternative media. We start out by discussing what right-wing alternative media are, and how they are transnationally linked across Western democracies. Then, we explore Mike and Curd's ongoing work into how Members of Congress' social media engagement with these sites may be predictors of political positionality. We also look at how Republican Members of Congress' use of the fake news label also relates to their political ideology. The (published) studies discussed in the episode are: Beyond Breitbart: Comparing Right-Wing Digital News Infrastructures in Six Western DemocraciesToward a Transnational Information Ecology on the Right? Hyperlink Networking among Right-Wing Digital News Sites in Europe and the United StatesLegislator Adoption of the Fake News Label: Ideological Differences in Republican Representative Use on Twitter

    Digital Political Communication and Social Media Campaigning in Germany, with Juri Schnöller

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 14, 2021 40:05


    Juri Schnöller, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Cosmonauts & Kings, discusses the latest trends in German digital political communication. We chat about the role of digital political consultants in Germany, the important role of messenger apps like Signal and Telegram, and how social media influencers are impacting coronavirus communication. We also compare how features of the German electoral rules, political culture, and media system work to shape German digital campaigning. Extra links: Public Arena Playbook: Juri's Handbook for Digital Political CommunicationCivical: A Social Media Management Software for Politics 

    ISIS Radicalization, Counter-Extremism, and Visual Propaganda on Social Media, with Dr. Tamar Mitts

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2021 39:36


    Dr. Tamar Mitts, Assistant Professor of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, shares her research on ISIS radicalization and it's relationship to social isolation, anti-Muslim sentiment, and counter-extremism programs. We discuss Dr. Mitts' Twitter dataset that uses spatial algorithms to identify ISIS sympathizers' locations and machine learning to identify pro-ISIS sentiment. Toward the end of the episode, we discuss how computer vision tools such as Amazon's Rekognition API can be used to detect violent imagery in ISIS propaganda. Here are the studies we discuss in the episode: From Isolation to Radicalization: Anti-Muslim Hostility and Support for ISIS in the West  (2019)Countering Violent Extremism and Radical Rhetoric (2021)Studying the Impact of ISIS Propaganda Campaigns (Forthcoming)

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