This month the paperback version of Digital Contention in a Divided Society (featuring a new afterword) is published. It can be preordered on the Manchester University Press website here.

I am delighted to be back in Leicester for a book talk on 24 April, hosted by John Coster (Documentary Media Centre). There is no need to register for this free event. Details are below:

Date & Time: Wednesday 17th April 17:00 -19:00

Venue: Orso Coffee Shop, 4 Market Place, Leicester LE1 5GF

Join Paul Reilly (University of Glasgow) and host, John Coster (Doc Media Centre), to celebrate the paperback launch of Paul’s book, Digital contention in a divided society: Social media, parades and protests in Northern Ireland. 

About the book

How are platforms such as Facebook and Twitter used by citizens to frame contentious parades and protests in ‘post-conflict’ Northern Ireland? What do these contentious episodes tell us about the potential of information and communication technologies to promote positive intergroup contact in the deeply divided society? These issues are addressed in what is the first in-depth qualitative exploration of how social media were used during the union flag protests (December 2012-March 2013), the Ardoyne parade disputes (July 2014 and 2015), and the ‘Brexit riots’ in April 2021. The book focuses on the extent to which affective publics, mobilised and connected via expressions of solidarity on social media, appear to escalate or de-escalate sectarian tensions caused by these hybrid media events. It also explores whether citizen activity on these online platforms has the potential to contribute to peacebuilding in Northern Ireland.