Here is some media coverage of our work in recent years. Most of this is work on social media use in Inda, with some past work on my documentary work on Rajinikanth. The University of Michigan maintains a more complete list of media coverage here. For members of the press seeking print comments, please write me at [my first name]at[umich]edu. I prefer written questions that I can offer specific responses to.
Tech Policy, April 2024: Compromised Information Environment Casts Doubt on the Fairness of India’s Elections
The Wire, April 2024: How National Creators Award Winners Amplified BJP’s Message
France24 / Agence France Presse, April 2024: La IA resucita a políticos en la campaña electoral de India
Boomlive, April 2024: Influencers Drum Up Publicity for the Government without Disclaimers
Economic Times, March 2024: Not food or lipstick vlogs, but social media influencers are also India’s new election campaigners
Al Jazeera, March 2024: ‘Inflection point’: AI meme wars hit India election, test social platforms
Financial Times, February 2024: ‘Curly Tales’ and ‘BeerBiceps’: Narendra Modi’s BJP taps influencers ahead of India election
Countercurrents, February 2024: India faces AI-disinformation threat ahead of elections
Newslaundry, February 2024: Research paper points to BJP’s ‘massive advantage’ through YouTube influencers
Rest of World, February 2024: How Narendra Modi became India’s influencer-in-chief
Mint Lounge, January 2024: The celebrity circus over the Maldives fracas
Economic Times, January 2024: Is it time to update Model Code of Conduct? Adapting to tech-driven election landscape
Washington Post, December 2023: Covert Indian operation seeks to discredit Modi’s critics in the U.S.
The Wire, December 2023: Making Disability a Joke Is Neither Comedy Nor Art
Wired, November 2023: YouTube and Reels could decide India’s Elections
Al Jazeera, October 2023: In India’s strife torn Manipur narrative battle is fought on social media
Bloomberg, September 2023: TikTok’s Rules Deter Researchers From Crunching Data on Users, Misinformation
Times of India, Aug 2023: Bird’s Flown: Is the end of Twitter near? (podcast)
The Hindu, June 2023: A new science: Using physics to understand hate groups on the internet
New York TImes, June 2023: Why is Narendra Modi So Popular?
Deccan Herald, June 2023: Criticizing the Courts
Newslaundry, May 2023: Anti-Hindu, woke feminist: Inside the unprecedented online trolling of CJI Chandrachud
Quartz, April 2023: How George Soros became a punching bag for rightwing Twitter in India
BBC, March 2023: Gandhi says disqualification ‘politically motivated’
Forbidden Stories, February 2023: In the age of false news: a journalist, a murder, and the pursuit of an unfinished investigation in India
Financial Times (London), February 2023: Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s opponents seize on Adani Group woes
Forbes: February 2023: ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act Would Ban TikTok In The United States”
Aricle 14: February 2023: Men’s Rights Activism In India Is Evolving, Intersecting With Right Wing Campaign
Financial Times (London), February 2023: How did Hindenburg short Adani stock?
Forbes, February 2023: Free Speech Absolutist Elon Musk Removed BBC Documentary Critical Of India’s Leader
France24, January 2023: Disinformation stalks Rahul Gandhi on trans-India trek”
Anurag Minus Verma, December 2022: The Future of Social Media (podcast – Hindi)
Times of India September 2022: Can hashtags bring down Bollywood? (podcast)
The Guardian, September 2022: Bollywood under siege as rightwing social media boycotts start to bite
Deccan Chronicle, August 2022: BJP, Congress spread lies on social media during 2019 polls: Study
Rest of World, August 2022: Right-wing groups are exploiting OSINT to spread propaganda in India
Bloomberg Quint, April 2022: Indian Business Doesn’t Speak Up Against Injustice. Here’s Proof
Times of India, February 2021: Kerala has set benchmark in e-governance, say experts
The Scroll, February 2021: Farm laws: Indian celebrities engaged in collusive tweeting to support Centre, shows study
Times of India, October 2020: Dalit MPs less likely to be heard on Twitter than upper castes
India Today, October 2020: Was BJP Involved In Pushing Murder Narrative Over Sushant’s Death?
NDTV, October 2020: The truth behind fake handles in the Sushant Singh Rajput
Boom Live, May 2020: How does fake news spread? (Podcast)
Al Jazeera, May 2020: Indian media accused of Islamophobia for its coronavirus coverage
Puliyabaazi, May 2020: राजनैतिक दल, सोशल मीडिया, और टेक्नोलॉजी (Political Parties, Social Media, and Technology) (podcast-Hindi)
Times of India, April 2020. Interview of Joyojeet Pal: Polarisation is a driver of fake news as people are more ready to to blame others
The Quint, April 2020: Increase in Communal Tone in COVID-19 Fake News in India: Study
Times of India, December 2019: India an Ideal Place for User Experience Design
Ganatantra, August 2019: Social Media, Political Messaging, and Branding (podcast)
Al Jazeera (Listening Post), May 2019: Big money, high stakes – playing the media game as India votes
The Guardian, December 2018: The populist social media playbook: the battle for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
Indian Express, September 2018: Tweeting in Hindi gaining popularity in India, says US study
Times of India, November 2017: How PM Narendra Modi wins over social media with sarcasm
Times of India, March 2016: Modi uses Twitter to bypass media
Scroll, September 2015: Man, god or beyond? The Rajinikanth cult as seen through the worshipful eyes of his fans
DNA India, August 2015: Wanted to understand the evolution of Rajinikanth’s fandom, says Joyojeet Pal
Economic Times, August 2015: Documentary on Rajnikanth fans to premiere at Venice Film fest
DNA India, August 2015: Rajinikanth decoded: A documentary that shows why the Superstar is a phenomenon