Who is digging – and who is falling into – “rabbit holes” of online radicalization? And, more importantly, how is such radicalization defined, when the process can occur at the tip of anyone’s fingers?
These questions were the focus of a recent International Communication Association (ICA) preconference event hosted at Metropolitan State University of Denver last week. Organized by the University of Iowa’s Center for Publics, Platforms & Personalization (CP3), the event brought together researchers to discuss various dimensions of online radicalization.
Brian Ekdale, professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) and researcher affiliate at the Center for Social Science Innovation (CSSI), served on the organizing committee for the preconference, along with Ryan Stoldt, associate professor at Drake University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication and SJMC PhD program alum, and Tamara Ewoldt, project manager at the University of Iowa.
“Our primary goal was to create the space for a conversation about the term radicalization and what it means for researchers studying social media,” said Ekdale. “We wanted to highlight that research on online radicalization is wide ranging.”
In particular, the preconference aimed to highlight work that focused on “mundane” and “everyday” forms of radicalization – a process expedited thanks to the daily churn of social media consumption, which contrasts with earlier research that hyperfocused on violent strains of the phenomenon.
After opening remarks, the preconference kicked off with a keynote address from Samuel Woolley, associate professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh, who divulged how bots can hack algorithms and spread political messages online.
Throughout the remainder of the day, 20 researchers, ranging from graduate students to full professors and hailing from eleven different countries, presented their work across four themes about online radicalization, including radicalization in understudied contexts.
“After listening to the presentations [on social media radicalization in understudied contexts], including engagement in online environmental campaigns and the use of digital images to protest political repression in Kenya, I was astonished by the complexity of social media radicalization in those contexts,” says Javie Ssozi, SJMC PhD student.
The preconference then closed with a panel featuring Meredith Pruden, assistant professor in the School of Communication and Media at Kennesaw State University, Susana Salgado, principal researcher in political communication at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, Portugal, and Sang Jung Kim, assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communiation and CSSI researcher affiliate.
"As a participant on a featured panel at this preconference, I was truly impressed by how scholars could come together around a shared interest while offering such diverse perspectives,” said Kim. “These interactions not only broadened their perspectives but also fostered meaningful networking and collaboration.”
Ultimately, Ekdale hopes the preconference will act like a springboard for a future journal special issue about radicalization.
CSSI co-sponsored the event alongside the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Department of Communication Studies, and the Political Communication Division of ICA.
“CSSI’s support was invaluable. It allowed us to secure a fantastic venue and attract top scholars to the preconference while keeping registration costs low for participants,” reflects Ekdale.
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