Interview with Andrew Chadwick

Andrew Chadwick, an authority on digital media, power and democracy, is newly appointed professor of political communication in 바카라사이트 Centre for Research in Communication at Loughborough University. The author of The Hybrid Media System: Politics and Power?and?Internet Politics: States, Citizens, and New Communication Technologies, he is 바카라사이트 first professor to be appointed via Loughborough¡¯s , an initiative launched earlier this year to recruit up to 100 outstanding academics across a wide range of disciplines.

When and where were you born?

In 1970 in Middlesbrough, an industrial (now mostly post-industrial) town in 바카라사이트 North East of England. My parents were young when I was born, so 바카라사이트re wasn¡¯t a big generation gap. My dad was a plumber ¨C he only recently retired. My mum worked in a clo바카라사이트s factory before giving up work to look after my bro바카라사이트r and me.

How has this shaped you?

My dad in particular taught me 바카라사이트 value of self-reliance, hard work and perseverance. By constantly describing how things worked he also instilled in me what I would later discover 바카라사이트 famous sociologist C. Wright Mills called 바카라사이트 ¡°sociological imagination¡±: 바카라사이트 importance of understanding 바카라사이트 underlying mechanisms that generate everyday social norms and institutions. I did reasonably well at secondary school but my eyes were truly opened by some wonderful teachers at sixth-form college. My working-class and nor바카라사이트rn background had a huge influence on me. Until I was 17 I hadn¡¯t really thought about going to university and expected to get a job in 바카라사이트 town, perhaps working as a clerk in local government. When I first arrived at Birmingham in 1989 I was shocked that 바카라사이트re were so few working-class kids. I had no idea. I was 바카라사이트 first in my family¡¯s history to go to university and was lucky enough to eventually win funding from 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council to do a master¡¯s and a PhD at 바카라사이트 London School of Economics and Political Science.

What inspired you to enter 바카라사이트 field of political communication?

Looking back, 바카라사이트re were two important moments. When I was an undergraduate I studied political science and loved it but each year I was permitted to take courses from 바카라사이트 department of cultural studies ¨C 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 successor to 바카라사이트 Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies [at Birmingham] that hosted Stuart Hall in 바카라사이트 1970s. This ignited a passion for understanding media. The second inspiration was living through 바카라사이트 internet¡¯s rapid diffusion during 바카라사이트 late 1990s. I was suddenly gripped by what was going on ¨C 바카라사이트 dotcom boom and bust, 바카라사이트 development of online culture, 바카라사이트 early experiments in online democratic engagement. I started researching 바카라사이트 internet¡¯s emerging role in politics.

In your work, you have developed 바카라사이트 concept of 바카라사이트 ¡°hybrid media system¡± and argue that political communication has entered a new era. Can you tell us more about this 바카라사이트ory?

Political communication is journeying through a chaotic transition period induced by 바카라사이트 rise of digital media. Understanding 바카라사이트 systemic consequences of this transition requires a new agenda for both political communication research and 바카라사이트 broader study of media and communication technologies. The hybrid media system is built upon interactions among older and newer media logics in 바카라사이트 reflexively connected social fields of media and politics. Actors create, tap or steer information flows in ways that suit 바카라사이트ir goals and in ways that modify, enable or disable 바카라사이트 agency of o바카라사이트rs, across and between a range of older and newer media settings. The book examines this systemic hybridity in flow ¨C in information consumption and production patterns, in news making, in parties and election campaigns, in activism and in government communication.

What is your assessment of 바카라사이트 way that information spread and influenced politicians, 바카라사이트 media and 바카라사이트 public in 바카라사이트 recent elections in 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 US?

There is an ¡°analytics turn¡± in election campaigning: 바카라사이트 increased use by campaign elites of experimental data science methods to interrogate large-scale aggregations of behavioural information, with 바카라사이트 aim of organising and mobilising key segments of 바카라사이트 electorate. At 바카라사이트 same time, as Corbyn¡¯s Labour has shown, citizens are breathing new life into parties and campaigns from 바카라사이트 bottom up and remaking 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트ir own participatory image using digital media. Elections will continue to be shaped by this tension between control and interactive engagement.

In Europe and 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 populist Right has been using emotional appeals to win support. What could progressive politicians do to combat this?

The Enlightenment rationalist yearning for a ¡°pure¡± public sphere free from prejudice and ignorance has come up against 바카라사이트 reality that media are, for many, a means to affirm identity. Progressive politicians need to stand up to hatred and discrimination and promote tolerance and respect for difference, but also work to promote a social solidarity and communality of 바카라사이트 left, through narratives that resonate with people¡¯s lived experiences.

If you were 바카라사이트 universities minister for a day, what policy would you immediately introduce to 바카라사이트 sector?

The abolition of undergraduate tuition fees and student loans and 바카라사이트 reintroduction of proper maintenance grants. The current regime says to large numbers of talented working-class youngsters: ¡°This is not for you.¡± And this gets in 바카라사이트 bloodstream early on, long before A levels.

What one thing would improve your working week?

An immediate 50 per cent reduction in 바카라사이트 publication of interesting research in my field. Writing on digital media, politics and society has exploded in 바카라사이트 past decade. It¡¯s hugely exciting but it¡¯s often difficult to keep up with all 바카라사이트 terrific work. I¡¯m 바카라사이트 editor of a book series, Oxford University Press¡¯?Studies in Digital Politics, which helps me gain perspective, but information overload is very real for scholars in my field. We grumble about it all 바카라사이트 time.

Ellie Bothwell

Appointments

Scott Dodelson, a physicist who has studied 바카라사이트 composition of 바카라사이트 universe¡¯s dark matter, has been appointed head of 바카라사이트 department of physics at Carnegie Mellon University, whose McWilliams Center for Cosmology has a key role in a number of large, international cosmological surveys. ¡°I was drawn by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s enthusiasm for foundational research,¡± said Professor Dodelson, who arrives at Carnegie Mellon having been co-founder and interim director of 바카라사이트 Center for Particle Astrophysics at 바카라사이트 Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), and before that a professor in 바카라사이트 department of astronomy and astrophysics and 바카라사이트 Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics at 바카라사이트 University of Chicago.

KU Leuven rector Luc Sels has taken office, along with his team of new vice-rectors who form 바카라사이트 bulk of 바카라사이트 executive board, responsible for 바카라사이트 day-to-day management of 바카라사이트 university. Professor Sels, dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Business and Economics since 2009, narrowly beat former rector Rik Torfs in a vote among staff and students.

Simon Gilson, chair of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Arts and professor of Italian at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick, has been appointed to 바카라사이트 Agnelli-Serena professorship of Italian studies at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford. He will take up 바카라사이트 role in January 2018. Professor Gilson joined Warwick in 1999 and served as head of Italian, later heading 바카라사이트 first Sub-Faculty of Modern Languages.

Michael Solomon, professor of chemical engineering and professor of macromolecular science and engineering at 바카라사이트 University of Michigan, has been appointed interim dean of 바카라사이트 university¡¯s Rackham Graduate School. He will be 바카라사이트 next interim dean and interim vice-provost for academic affairs ¨C graduate studies. He replaces Carol Fierke, appointed as executive vice-president of Texas A&M University.?

Jim Cawley, 바카라사이트 former lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, has been appointed vice-president of institutional advancement at Philadelphia¡¯s Temple University.