Session III

Social Media

Session I schedule
Time (EDT)	Time (CET)	Title	Presenters
11:10 a.m.	5:10 p.m.	Networks of Rage? Understanding Affect in Far-Right Mobilization on Social Media	Ana Makhashvili (Freie Universität Berlin)
11:20 a.m.	5:20 p.m.	Twiplomacy and the War: Russia’s Strategic Narratives on Twitter During the Full-scale Invasion of Ukraine	Miriam Milzner & Anna Litvinenko (Freie Universität Berlin)
11:30 a.m.	5:30 p.m.	A Cross-national Examination of the Perceived Importance of News and Social Media Information Sources	Jason Peifer (Indiana University)
11:40 a.m.	5:40 p.m.	Social Media Use and the Spread of Disinformation in the Global South	Martin Emmer, Chadidjatu Faye, Mor Faye (Freie Universität Berlin)
11:50 a.m.	5:50 p.m.	Questions/Discussion for Session 1 presentations
12:10 p.m.	6:10 p.m.	Break (5 minutes)

Discussion facilitator

Kevin Mudavadi

Kevin Mudavadi is a Ph.D. Candidate at the Media School at Indiana University. His research primarily centers on the effects of disinformation and misinformation content on digital media platforms on individual decision-making. Additionally, he is intrigued by the relationship between journalistic roles and media perceptions among audiences, particularly in the context of misinformation and media trust. Kevin has researched various aspects, including media perception, disinformation, misinformation, and journalism, examining the Kenyan and United States contexts.

Networks of Rage? Understanding Affect in Far-Right Mobilization on Social Media

11:10 a.m. EDT | 5:10 p.m. CET

This dissertation builds upon an increasing scholarly interest in understanding the rationale of far-right mobilization online. I propose an affect-based approach that asks: How do far-right publics network and mobilize on Twitter through the circulation of affect? The interdisciplinary framework for this dissertation is rooted in affect and network theory, as well as theories of (counter)publics. I empirically analyze three cases that triggered public discussions about refuge and migration in Germany, part of which took place on Twitter: (1) the far-right riots in Chemnitz in 2018, (2) the far-right terrorist attack in Hanau in 2020 and (3) the violent shutdown of refugees at the Turkish-Greek border in 2020. I apply a mixed-methods approach to collected tweets combining social network analysis, methods of automated text analysis and qualitative text analysis. Using social network analysis, I identify and examine influential far-right actors and communities. Next, I apply computational methods for text analysis to identify dominant attitudes and sentiments among far right. Finally, I analyze tweets posted by influential far-right actors qualitatively. Here, the focus lies on how affect and emotions are used to mobilize and produce a sense of community and belonging, while construing and excluding emotional ‘others’.

Ana Makhashvili

Ana Makhashvili (she/her) is a PhD candidate in media and communication studies, currently working in the research project “Contested Order of Emotions: (Anti-)Feminist Discourses on Social Media” at the collaborative research center “Affective Societies” at the Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany. In her dissertation, she combines qualitative, quantitative, and automated methods to examine the role of emotions and affect in the formation of far-right publics on Twitter.

Twiplomacy and the War: Russia’s strategic narratives on Twitter during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine

11:20 a.m. EDT | 5:20 p.m. CET

Russia has been employing a multi-level strategy of spreading digital propaganda and disinformation to legitimize its aggression against Ukraine. Given their unique international position, the role of Russian diplomats in this propaganda system is of particular interest. This study delves into the role played by Russian diplomats in this propaganda system, offering insights into the creation of Russia's strategic narratives and content dissemination on Twitter during the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Employing a mixed-method approach that combines network analysis and manual quantitative content analysis, this research investigates data from Russian diplomatic Twitter accounts in Germany and the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs during three crucial time periods: three months before the invasion (23.11.2021-23.02.2022), three months after the invasion (24.02.2022-24.05.2022), and three months preceding the anniversary of the full-scale war (24.11.2022-24.02.2023). The study identifies specific linking behaviors and narratives, tracing their development throughout the three time periods and across different language segments. We show that Russia tailors its diplomatic communication to suit different audiences, following an "on-demand" approach akin to its domestic propaganda machine. In light of these findings, the study discusses the role of Twiplomacy in an armed conflict and the conceptual distinction between diplomacy and propaganda.

Miriam Milzner

Miriam Milzner is a research associate and doctoral candidate at the Freie Universität Berlin and the Weizenbaum Institute in the research group “Dynamics of Digital Mobilization“. In her dissertation project, she is investigating coordinated disinformation campaigns and the manipulation of social media debates. Prior, she completed her Master's degree in Journalism and Communication Science at the Freie Universität Berlin. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Communication Science, Economics, and Political Science at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität in Jena. In addition to her research interests in the field of coordinated social media manipulation, she also explores the logics of digital information infrastructures, the hybrid media sphere, alternative media, and counterpublics in the digital realm.

Anna Litvinenko

Anna Litvinenko, PhD, is a researcher at the “Digitalization and Participation” department of the Institute for Media and Communication Studies, Freie Universität Berlin. In 2015–2020, she was a member of the Emmy Noether Junior Research Group “Mediating (Semi-)Authoritarianism––The Power of the Internet in the Post-Soviet World” at FU Berlin. After receiving her PhD in 2007 in Russia, she worked as an associate professor at the Department of International Journalism of Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU). Starting from 2010, she was head of the German–Russian Centre of Journalism at SPbU. Anna is a recipient of several grants including fellowships of the German Bundestag and of the German–Russian Forum (the “Journalists from Russia” programme). She has been a practicing journalist since 1996 and has received several journalism awards, among them the Special Prize of the Peter-Boenisch Contest of the German–Russian Forum “Petersburger Dialog” (2010). In 2011–2012, as a recipient of the German Chancellor Fellowship for Prospective Leaders (Alexander-von-Humboldt-Foundation), she was a visiting researcher at FU Berlin. In 2020, she was a research fellow at the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society, Berlin. Since the beginning of 2020, Anna has been hosting a podcast called “Internet & Society”, where scholars discuss different aspects of digitalization and its societal impact.

A Cross-national Examination of the Perceived Importance of News and Social Media Information Sources

11:30 a.m. EDT | 5:30 p.m. CET

A growing domain of media scholarship seeks to provide an understanding of public perceptions of journalism as an important social institution, addressing the extent to citizens see personal value in the aspirations commonly embraced by journalism actors. Recognizing that different dynamics animate the range of media ecosystems around the globe, this research proceeds from the premise that it is important to build a cross-national understanding of the extent to which world citizens value/de-value newswork. Notably, it is increasingly easy for citizens to circumvent conventional forms of news media and access/contribute to information streams about public affairs through various online communities and platforms. Such developments raise questions about the extent to which citizens feel that social media can sufficiently meet their information needs. The aims of this exploratory project are twofold. First, it seeks to expand research on the concept of Perceptions of News Media Importance (PNMI) to a cross-national framework. Second, it is designed to more directly examine public views of social media’s informational value vis-à-vis notions of traditional journalism. Using pilot data collected in the U.S. (N=800) and South Korea (N=764 ) in 2023, this study’s nationally representative, probability-based surveys illuminate notable implications relative to these contrasting public perceptions of media importance.

Jason Peifer

Jason Peifer is an Associate Professor in the Media School at Indiana University. Peifer’s research explores facets of citizens’ uncertainty about, engagement with, and trust in public institutions—especially as related to journalism practices, non-traditional news sources, journalistic transparency, and perceptions of media importance.

Social Media Use and the Spread of Disinformation in the Global South

11:40 a.m. EDT | 5:40 p.m. CET

Disinformation is a field that has attracted strong attention in communication studes in recent years, however most of empirical research is conducted in Western contexts. But approaches to meet the disinformation challenge based solely on Western research may not be successful in non-Western contexts, due to factors like differing media systems, educational resources, cultural practices of social interaction and communication patterns. This study aims to understand the contexts of mobile and social media-based information practices and interactions with news and disinformation of citizens in Senegal, a democratic, rather stable and economically leading country in West Africa. We conducted 27 semi-structured interviews with male and female residents from different educational and occupational categories in three regions of Senegal. The data shows a broad variety of smartphone and social media use, emphasizing the outstanding importance of mobile phones for most residents. Perception of disinformation varies greatly, with some respondents showing a high level of reflection, while others do not see it as relevant. Still most interviewees emphasize the importance of peaceful reconciliation and refer to cultural institutions, such as religious leaders and communities, as key actors in resolving disinformation and propaganda issues.

Martin Emmer

Professor of Media and Communication Studies and head of the Division Media Use Research at the Institute for Media and Communication Studies of Freie Universität Berlin since 2011. Founding Director of the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society in Berlin from 2017 to 2019. He currently is principal investigator (PI) at the Weizenbaum Institute for the Networked Society in the research group “Digital Citizenship” and PI at the Einstein Center Digital Future in Berlin. His research focuses on political communication, the use of digital media and methods of empirical communication research.

Chadidjatu Faye

Chadidjatu Faye is a research assistant at the Freie Universität (Free University) in Berlin, Germany.

She holds a BSc in Political Science- International Relations and Organizations from Leiden University, in the Netherlands as well as a MSc degree in Political Science specialized in Nationalism, ethnic conflict and development from the same institution. In her role as research assistant, she supports the project on narrative management and the spread of misinformation in Senegal.

Her research interests are sub-Saharan Africa, political communication and social movements.

Mor Faye

Mor Faye, PhD, is a sociologist and professor for media and communication studies at Université Gaston Berger, St. Louis, Senegal. His research covers structures of francophone African media, journalism and audience studies.