Social Media and the Belfast Riots: Articles in The Conversation, New Statesman and The Times

Posted on by
Reply

I have three new articles out on the role of social media in the violent disorder seen in Northern Ireland this week.

On Wednesday I wrote for the  Conversation UK on how social media had been used by far-right agitators like Tommy Robinson to incite violence in Belfast and other towns. I argued that while more could be done to prevent online hate and misinformation, the toxic discourse around immigration was a bigger problem. It can be read in full here.

Yesterday I had an op-ed published in The Times. I posited how facts don’t matter to those seeking to leverage traumatic incidents, such as Monday’s knife attack in North Belfast, to further anti-immigrant agendas. I was also interviewed by David Leask for a report on the protests and related violence in Glasgow.

Finally, I had an article published in The New Statesman yesterday. In this one I reflected on the similarities between this week’s events and the racist violence seen in Ballymena last summer. I discussed the reasons why far-right agitators have been able to mobilise support from working-class loyalist communities, and the role of online platforms in whipping up anti-immigrant sentiments. The piece can be read here (you may need to subscribe to access it).

Many thanks to Charlotte Morris for helping arranging these , and to Nick Harris, David Leask, Dale Miller and Sarah Reid for publishing them.

Interviewed by ZDF on role of social media in Belfast riots

Posted on by
Reply
Interview on ZDFheute Nachricten, 10 June

Yesterday I was interviewed by German public service broadcaster ZDF about the racist violence in Northern Ireland over the past few days. Anti-immigration protests and related violence have taken place in Belfast and several other towns in the region, sparked by a knife attack by a Sudanese man on Monday night.

I commented on the role of far-right agitators and online platforms in the coordination of the protests.

Thanks to Joe Evans for the interview. You can view the segment below (from 09:56 onwards).

Cost of living crisis book launch- 24 June

Posted on by
Reply
Book launch event, 24 June 2026

The launch event for Bad News on the Cost of Living Crisis will be held in a few weeks’ time. It will be jointly sponsored by the Glasgow University Media Group and Red Pepper Magazine.

Please see below for details on the speakers and venue. Details on how to register can be found here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/redpepper/2233237

GUMG and RPM invite you to join them for the launch of a new book, Bad News on the Cost of Living Crisis and to discuss questions of media power, resistance, and the future of journalism in a rapidly evolving digital media landscape with special guest Laura Webster. 

Both the book and magazine will be available for purchase at the event – to ensure you get a copy of the Red Pepper issue, you can purchase in advance for a discounted rate when registering for the event!

Join us from 5:30pm in the Reading Room, Glasgow University Union – the discussion will run between 6:00 and 7:30pm, with drinks and further conversation in the Reading Room bar afterwards. 

Chair: 

  • Darcy White is a co-editor of Red Pepper Media and Emeritus Fellow of Visual Culture (Sheffield Hallam University).

Panellists: 

  • Laura Webster is the Editor of The National.
  • Catherine Happer is a Professor of Media Sociology (University of Glasgow) and Director of The Glasgow University Media Group.
  • Lluis De Nadal is a Lecturer in Media, Culture & Society (University of Glasgow) and a researcher at The Glasgow University Media Group.
  • Paula Lacey is a co-editor of Red Pepper Media and a PhD candidate in Sociology (University of Cambridge)

Location

Reading Room, Glasgow University Union (GUU), University Avenue, G12 8LX

Interviewed about public reaction to Nicola Sturgeon appearance on Kuenssberg show

Posted on by
Reply
Memes posted in aftermath of Nicola Sturgeon interview on Laura Kuenssberg show

Yesterday I was interviewed by Steph Brawn (The National). We discussed the public reaction to former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s interview on the BBC Laura Kuenssberg show. Many online commenters have questioned her claims that she was completely unaware of estranged husband Peter Murrell’s embezzlement of SNP party funds.

The article features some excellent insight from University of Strathclyde media expert Michael Higgins. Some excerpts from my contribution are below:

“I think if a politician comes out and says ‘yes I did it’ or apologises they are viewed as weak and it’s a reflection of how partisan politics has become, particularly with people calling things online,”

“They are quick to judge, and since Nicola Sturgeon stood down I think there are probably a lot of people who are critical of her and this is another weapon to beat her with, so I don’t think there’s anything she could say that was not going to meet a certain response”

“Of course, there are people who are very pro-Nicola Sturgeon defending her online and that reflects the fact that people are in these separate camps and they’re not likely to change their mind as a result of the revelations.”

Many thanks to Steph for the interview. It can be read in full here.

Interviewed for Kid Reporters Knowledge Exchange Programme

Posted on by
Reply
Representing CoSS at Kid Reporters Knowledge Exchange event

In March 2026 I represented the College of Social Sciences in the kid Reporters Knowledge Exchange programme. This collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Hillhead Primary School brought 90 school children to campus to learn more about the media, digital storytelling, and the University’s research.

My contribution revolved around how to stay safe online. The pupils asked a range of questions including whether I enjoyed my job, what my favourite colour was, and of course what cat I would like to be! We then went on a tour of the Advanced Research Centre before the class engaged in other creative sessions on the day including designing zines.

Full details on the Children in Media project can be found here. A video showcasing the project can be viewed below:

Many thanks to the Nicole Smith, Libby Nelson and Charlotte Morris for the invitation to participate, and to Kieran McCarroll for capturing the interviews.


Bad news on the cost of living crisis published

Posted on by
Reply

I am a contributor to a Glasgow University Media Group book published last week. Bad news on the cost of living crisis explores media representations and audience responses to the COLC in the United Kingdom over the past few years.

The blurb of the book is below:

In this book, the Glasgow University Media Group bring their innovative and forensic three-dimensional methodological approach to understanding the role of media in shaping Britain’s cost of living crisis.  In the context of neoliberal austerity, welfare cuts and the corporate capture of media platforms, it provides evidence of an increasing disconnect between the narratives promoted by the mainstream media and the interests, priorities and lived experiences of audiences – whilst charting the parallel emergence of new models of trust which leave them vulnerable to bad faith actors promoting disinformation online.

Big thanks to GUMG colleagues Alison Eldridge, Catherine Happer, Gavin Hawkton, Isaac Hoff, Lluis de Nadal Alsina, Cairsti Russell and Yu Sun for their hard work in bringing this to fruition. I would also like to thank the Palgrave team (especially Richard Woolley) and the reviewers for their assistance in publishing this important work.

The book can now be ordered here.

I will share details of the book launch and other promotional activities in due course.

Participant in a panel on AI, misinformation and Scottish election

Posted on by
Reply

On Wednesday I was an invited contributor to a panel organised by The Ferret. Entitled AI, misinformation and the Scottish election, the focus was on how best to respond to mis-and disinformation in Scotland.

Ali Brian (The Ferret), Digdem Soyaltin Colella (University of Aberdeen) and I discussed a variety of topics, including how bad actors use AI-images to pollute political discourse online, the vectors of misinformation in contemporary Scotland, and how we can rebuild trust in democratic institutions.

Many thanks to Susannah Fitzgerald for charing, Jamie Mann for the invitation, and our audience for their thought-provoking questions. The session can viewed below.

Please do consider supporting The Ferret, who are doing some fantastic in-depth investigative journalism in Scotland. Full details on how to subscribe can be found here.

Invited seminar on social media and peacebuilding at University of Copenhagen

Posted on by
Reply
Invited lecture at University of Copenhagen

Yesterday I delivered a seminar at the University of Copenhagen. Entitled ‘Digital contention in divided societies: how online platforms hinder peacebuilding’, I gave an overview of the type of intergroup contact facilitated by social media to date. Drawing on key findings from my book Digital Contention in a Divided Society, I argued that online platforms are not shared spaces in which positive peace is likely to emerge. Despite the cyberoptimism of projects like Peace on Facebook, they are neither benign nor a force for world peace. Indeed, the hate speech, mis-and disinformation amplified by their sites reinforces negative stereotypes of outgroups which make reconciliation between former antagonists much harder.

The second speaker of the day was Dechun Zhang, who gave an overview of his forthcoming book Digital Nationalism and Affective Governance: Propaganda, Public Sentiment, and Soft Authoritarianism in China. This was a fascinating presentation introducing some of the key theoretical and empirical findings.

Big thanks to Jun Liu for the invite, Dechun for his talk, and to the audience for their contributions. The slides from my presentation can be viewed below.

Interviewed about UK Home Office deportation videos on TikTok

Posted on by
Reply
Order and control claim, UK Home Office Tik Tok secure borders page, https://www.tiktok.com/@securebordersuk

A few weeks ago I spoke to Motaz Amer about the UK Home Office posting deportation videos on their TikTok account.

We discussed how these videos frame enforcement as entertainment, the ways in which this content further inflames divisions on issues like immigration, and whether government social media accounts should be used for such campaigning.

My contribution is below:

Dr Paul Reilly, Senior Lecturer in Communications, Media, and Democracy at the University of Glasgow, has suggested there is little evidence that such content will significantly change minds. Those who favour stricter border controls are unlikely to need persuading and those opposed to raids and deportations are unlikely to be swayed by viral clips.

He added, while social media may not change entrenched views, what it can amplify strong reactions. Platforms reward outrage and affirmation rather than thoughtful debate. In that environment, migration risks becoming reduced to imagery and slogans instead of evidence and policy.

It also features commentary from my Glasgow University colleague Catriona Forrest and the Scottish Refugee Council.

Thanks to Motaz for the interview. The article, published in both the Glasgow Guardian and Bylines Scotland, can be viewed here.

Guest lecture at Edinburgh university on mediated flag protests

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday I delivered a guest lecture on the Media and Politics undergraduate course run by the University of Edinburgh.

I discussed the mediated nature of flag protests, with a specific focus on my work on the 2013 union flag protests in Northern Ireland, the connective actions of far right movements and the recent anti-immigration protests in the UK. A synopsis of the session is below:

We also discussed the role of media (both legacy and digital) and discourse elites in mainstreaming far right policies around issues like immigration. Relevant concepts such as the illiberal public sphere were introduced to explain what the implications of these trends might be for democratic institutions.

Big thanks to Professor Kate Wright (Edinburgh) for the invitation and to the students for their contributions during the class. A copy of the slides can be found below.