While there is a growing body of research on the effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the onset of intrastate conflict, the effects of social media access have not been...Show moreWhile there is a growing body of research on the effects of information and communication technologies (ICTs) on the onset of intrastate conflict, the effects of social media access have not been analyzed thoroughly based on a large N, cross-country study. In this study, the impact of social media access on the onset of intrastate conflict is assessed, using country-year data (2000-2020) for 173 countries. It was hypothesized that social media access leads to an increase in the onset of intrastate conflict, ceteris paribus. Additionally, it was also hypothesized that the effect of social media access on the onset of intrastate conflict is stronger in more ethnically homogenous countries. These hypotheses were tested using a binomial logistic regression model. The main results of the analysis indicate there is only a significant correlation between Internet access and the onset of non-ethnic intrastate conflict. These results suggest that intrastate conflict is too broad of a category and should be disaggregated into smaller subgroups to develop more accurate empirical analyses. This research advances not only the study of intrastate conflict onset but also the academic discussion on the effects of social media access.Show less
Social media and videoblogging, or vlogging, are taking over the internet and North Korea is joining this trend. While doing so, the state is reaching out to the international community through...Show moreSocial media and videoblogging, or vlogging, are taking over the internet and North Korea is joining this trend. While doing so, the state is reaching out to the international community through relatable media content and soft power tools. One of the examples, in which North Korea reached out to the international viewer, is the Youtube channel ‘Echo of Truth’. This research aims to answer the question as to how soft power tools are applied in the videos of ‘Echo of Truth’. By using a qualitative visual discourse analysis, it analyzes the videos of ‘Echo of Truth’ to answer this question. This thesis argues that soft power tools, such as cultural and culinary diplomacy, are applied in the videos in order to make these videos more relatable to the international audience. However, not all the videos were found to have used these soft power techniques as traditional propaganda videos were still uploaded to the channel. The sheer differences found in the channel’s videos raised the question of a power dilemma the channel seemed to be facing.Show less
This research explores the development of alt-right microcelebrities within the digital mainstream to highlight the emerging new repertoire of far-right radicalization in a fast-evolving digital...Show moreThis research explores the development of alt-right microcelebrities within the digital mainstream to highlight the emerging new repertoire of far-right radicalization in a fast-evolving digital ecosystem. This paper takes an ethnographic approach to analyzing a single established alt-right microcelebrity, Tim Gionet, known by his internet handle @BakedAlaska. This paper utilizes Senft’s theory of microcelebrity to explore 'How has Tim Gionet, a far-right personality established himself in the digital mainstream through the cultivation of a microcelebrity persona?'. Gionet cultivates unique identity markers to attract a broad audience, through methods of self-branding and marketing strategies. Furthermore, Gionet uses trolling, a digital, performative mocking technique, in his streams to attract attention from his audience, which is maintained through mechanisms of strategic intimacy. Therefore, Gionet is able to develop a para-social relationship with his audience using mechanisms of microcelebrity to establish himself as an influencer within the mainstream community of the Alt-Right.Show less
Social media platforms have become critical components of rebel groups’ communication channels. While discussions on rebels’ social media presence usually centre around issues of violence and...Show moreSocial media platforms have become critical components of rebel groups’ communication channels. While discussions on rebels’ social media presence usually centre around issues of violence and disruption, mounting evidence exists pinpointing the non-violent tactics rebel actors employ online. Interested in how social media use contributes to the ability of established rebel groups to project, cultivate, and negotiate favourable online personas internationally, this research project offers an exploratory case study analysis of the 5-day long #AskHamas Twitter campaign that Islamic resistance movement for Palestinian liberation Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah - commonly known as Hamas, conducted in March 2015. A mixed method approach combining social network analysis and empathic close-text reading was employed to reconstruct the international reception of the online event. Framing the Twitter campaign conceptually as an instance of public relations (PR) management, findings substantiate that the #AskHamas Twitter event allowed Hamas to establishing direct, and relevant relations with its targeted Western audience. At the same time, evidence pinpoints the ultimate dependency of online campaigns on the willingness of targeted audience to engage seriously. In case of #AskHamas, meaningful exchange with Hamas was obstructed by deliberate trolling, mocking and ridiculing on parts of participating. Evidence collected in this study implicates the urgency to overcome violence-fixation in Western understandings of rebel actors, and the necessity to contextualise identified rebel online communication practices to their socially mediated context of creation and dissemination.Show less
