Research

Research Areas

I am best described as a communication scientist drawing from approaches in political science, sociology, and AI.

My empirical and conceptual research broadly looks at the societal impacts of AI, especially its implications for the information environment, the news, and democracy.

My first major area of interest within this is how artificial intelligence reshapes the mechanisms of information and news production and distribution, and with what effects for (news) publishers, audiences, and the structure of the information environment. I am particularly curious how AI systems and their use (e.g. on their own, but also on platforms, in search, or by news organisations) shape public and political discourse and informedness.

A second major area is what I term the developing political economy of AI and news: the role (major) technology companies play in the development, deployment, and provision of AI on communication and information infrastructures, including for the purposes covered by point 1. I am curious about approaches to AI governance in this context, and questions about the long-term reshaping of our epistemic environment.

As of late, and tying the above together, I have become increasingly interested in the role AI – and AI in communication and information, as well as news – plays for democracy. A focus here has been on the effects of generative AI on misinformation and the role of AI in questions of epistemic security.

Collaborators

One of the joys of academic work is collaborating with others. I have had the great luck of working with a number of wonderful scholars, technologists, journalists, and other practitioners listed here alphabetically (if I missed you, please reach out. Ongoing collaborations are not yet included. Affiliations are up-to-date for the time of our last collaboration):

Sacha Altay (Department of Political Science, University of Zurich), Amy A. Ross Arguedas (Reuters Institute, University of Oxford), Kim Björn Becker (FAZ), Alexandra Borchardt (Independent), Oliver Blewett (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), J. Scott Brennen (Center on Technology Policy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), Andrea Carson (La Trobe University), Tristan J. B. Cann (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Chico Q. Camargo (Department of Computer Science, University of Exeter), Travis Coan (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Alessio Cornia (Dublin City University), Christopher Crum (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford), Tomás Dodds (Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University), Sophie G. Einwächter (Department of Media Studies, Philipps-University Marburg), Motahhare Eslami (School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University), Xianzhe Fan (Department of Computer Science, Tsinghua University), Richard Fletcher (Reuters Institute, University of Oxford), Francisco Gonzalez Espinosa (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Lucas Graves (School of Journalism, UW–Madison), Sylvia Hayes (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Natali Helberger (Institute for Information Law, University of Amsterdam), Vinzenz Hediger (Department of Film Studies, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt), Alfred Hermida (School of Journalism, University of British Columbia), Phil Howard (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford), Alastair Johnstone-Hack (Climate Visuals), Antonis Kalogeropoulos (Department of Politics, Vrije Universiteit Brussels), Seth C. Lewis (University of Oregon), Liz Lohn (Financial Times), Julia Lück (Department of Communication, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz), Sílvia Majó-Vázquez (Department of Communication, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Keegan McBride (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford), Hugo Mercier (CNRS Institut Jean Nicod), Rasmus Kleis Nielsen (Reuters Institute, University of Oxford), Jason R.C. Nurse (University of Kent), Saffron O'Neill (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Julie Posetti (ICFJ), Simon Puttock (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Sarwat Qureshi (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford), Jan Rau (Leibniz-Institute for Media Research, Hans-Bredow-Institut (HBI)), Valeria Resendez (Cognition, Data and Education, University of Twente), Ralph Schroeder (Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford), Annika Sehl (Department of Communication, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt), Felix M. Simon (Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, University of Oxford), Nabeelah Shabbir (ICFJ), Tanjev Schultz (Department of Communication, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz), Benjamin Toff (Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota), Astrid Vandendaele (Leiden University Centre for Linguistics, Leiden University), Veronica White (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Wang Ngai Yeung (Network Science Institute, Northeastern University), Ned Westwood (Centre for Climate Change and Data Science, University of Exeter), Qing Xiao (Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Carnegie Mellon University), Bingbing Zhang (School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Iowa).

Integrity Statement

My research and doctoral work has been supported by the Leverhulme Trust, the OII-Dieter Schwarz Foundation award, Columbia University’s Tow Center for Digital Journalism, the Minderoo-Oxford AI Governance Challenge Fund, the Knight First Amendment Institute at Colubmbia University, and the Balliol Interdisciplinary Institute. In the past I have also worked as a research assistant or researcher on projects supported by the Deutsche Telekom Foundation, European Broadcasting Union, European Journalism Observatory, Google News Initiative, Facebook Journalism Innovation Project, IPPI/Heinrich Böll Foundation, and the Nuffield Foundation.

I have engaged in paid and unpaid consultations with several organisations including the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation, the UK House of Lords and House of Commons, IMPRESS, the United Nations, TUM School of Management, Goethe-University Frankfurt, the Tow Center at Columbia University, the BBC, Axel Springer, the Financial Times, the Daily Telegraph, Meta, The Guardian, the Associated Press, and the Australian Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. I have recently engaged in paid consultations and/or given paid talks at the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the International Press Institute, the IFM Cologne, dfv media, the Online News Association, Aspen Digital, DNPA India, and the European External Action Service (EEAS).

I sat on the AI and Local News Steering Committee of Partnership on AI, which is funded from philanthropy and corporate entities and for which I received an honorarium. In 2023, I participated in an expert survey run by YouTube for which I received an honorarium. I sit on the Advisory Committee of the Center for News, Technology & Innovation. I sit on the Advisory Board of OpenMind. My current work at the Reuters Institute is funded by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Reuters News Agency. I conduct my research in line with the University of Oxford’s academic integrity code of practice.