Tag Archives: Digital Contention

Eighth review of Digital contention in a divided society published in Estudios Irlandeses

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The eighth review of Digital Contention in a Divided Society has been published in Estudios Irlandeses . Sarah Ritt (University of Vienna) provides a very comprehensive reflection on the book’s key themes. Some quotes from the review are below:

“Online communities are their own little microcosms. Often either overlooked or blamed for everything wrong with today’s society, the online space has only rather recently become a subject of academic study, probably partly because in order to produce telling results, large datasets need to be retrieved, categorized, and analyzed This is exactly what Paul Reilly does in his monograph Digital Contention in a Divided Society“

“In order to root his analysis in the offline world as well, Reilly supplements it with an actors’ analysis of events coverage in main regional newspapers. This keeps his insight from being reduced to the infamous online “bubbles”.”

“Digital Contention in a Divided Society: Social Media, Parades and Protests in Northern Ireland is a valuable resource for those working with social media studies who are looking for a comprehensive and triangulated set of data that has been researched with a great amount of consideration for its social / historical contexts and the quantitative care necessary when working with a fast-changing environment such as social media platforms.”

I am very grateful to Sarah for such a thoughtful review of the book, which can be read in full here

Interviewed about Trump administration’s social media activity

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Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com

Last Friday I spoke to Hamish Morrison of The National. We discussed the Trump administration’s use of neo-Nazi references on social media. In the past few weeks, several US agencies have posted content directly referencing white supremacist figures like Willam Gayley Simpson.

I suggested that this was both an attempt to distract from the crises facing the Trump administration and a reflection of the attitudes of those close to the president. Som quotes are below:
“It’s not coincidence, it’s not an accident. It is something which is strategic communication and they must see value in that.”

“They’re reflecting back what they see from people who are supportive of,for example, ICE’s activity in Minnesota last week [the killing of Renee Nicole Good] or the Trump administration itself” 
“It’s choosing not to talk to the entire room, talking to a very small segment of it and that could be very politically damaging for Trump.” 

I also discussed how there are contradictory reports about who is posting content on behalf of Trump. It seems that nobody is dialling down his rhetoric. This will have a very negative impact on how the Republicans fare in the midterm elections later this year.

Many thanks to Hamish for the interview, and to Charlotte Morris for arranging it. The article can be read in full here.























































Exploring Digital Activism: Public Lecture at European University Rotterdam

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Invited public lecture at European University Rotterdam, 18 February 2025

This week I am delighted to be an academic visitor at the European University Rotterdam. During this trip, I will deliver a public lecture entitled ‘From Doomscrolling to Activism/Action’. Chaired by Dr. Delia Dumitrica (EUR), activist and researcher Chris Julien and I will discuss the future of Digital Activism. We will explore this topic in an increasingly fragmented world. I will discuss the key findings from my book Digital Contention in a Divided Society (Manchester University Press, 2024).

A description of the event is below:

Do you know the feeling? Climate change, ongoing wars, rising hostilities. The world appears to be on fire and more polarized than ever, and it seems almost impossible to do something about it. How do we break this helpless feeling of despair? How can online feelings of empathy and care translate into real world action? And what is necessary for discontent to become successful political movements?

The event is co-organised by Delia and Lenya Slierendrecht from Studium Generale. It will be held at CB-4 (Theil Basement), European University of Rotterdam. The event timing is from 19:30 to 21:00 CET.

If you are in Rotterdam tomorrow (18 February), there is still time to register to this free event here.

Many thanks to Delia and Lena for the invite- should be a great discussion!

Sixth review of Digital Contention published in LSE Review of Books

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Digital Contention in a Divided Society, MUP, 2024

The sixth review of Digital Contention in a Divided Society was published in LSE Review of Books last week. Penny Nakou (University of Bath) provides a very comprehensive and detailed reflection on the book’s key themes. Some quotes from the review are below:

“The book enables a wide range of readers – academic scholars and researchers, but also citizens and activists – to grasp the relevance of contentious politics and how these are articulated and disputed in the digital era, especially in our increasingly datafied social world”

“This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the context of NI as a divided society, understanding the recent history of local protests and disputes (between 2012-2015) and the wider scene of the relations between NI, Ireland, and the UK”

“Overall, this book offers valuable and detailed insights into the ways that digital media shape and fuel contentious politics, social mobilisation and citizenship. It shows how online platforms can impact polarised societies negatively, by reproducing prejudice and hate speech, but also positively by managing inter-group tensions, avoiding violence and social unrest, and providing informal learning”

“This work can help academics, activists, political and media experts, as well as the general public evaluate the occurrence of disputable events, such as protests and demonstration parades, within profoundly fragmented contexts like NI particularly in the face of rising mis- and dis-information in the digital age”

I am very grateful to Penny for such a thoughtful review of the book, which can be read in full here

Article in The Conversation about social media protections and peacebuilding

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I have a new article published in the Conversation UK. In this piece, I argue that the removal of guardrails and safety measures from online platforms makes it harder to promote reconciliation in deeply-divided societies. Drawing on examples such as my own work on Northern Ireland, I suggest that commercial platforms like X (formerly known as Twitter) are not the best place to promote peace. Perhaps a public service internet would be a more suitable forum in which to reconcile former antagonists.

Many thanks to Charlotte Morris, Dale Berning Saw and the Conversation UK for their feedback and assistance in getting this published.

The article can be read here

New blogpost on role of social media in protests and disorder in post-conflict societies

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Invited book talk, Leicester, 16 April

I have written an essay for the University of Glasgow Social Sciences Hub on the role of social media in protests and disorder in divided societies. In the piece, I reflect on something I wrote about the 2011 English riots and consider how online platforms are used by citizens to frame contentious issues. I argue that the indirect effects of online incivility seen during divisive events can be detrimental for efforts to promote peace and reconciliation in divided societies.

Thanks to Andrew MacIver for the help in publishing this. It can be read in full here and you can buy a copy of Digital Contention in a Divided Society here.

Upcoming book talks in Leicester, Glasgow and Tübingen

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Digital Contention in a Divided Society, Manchester University Press 2024.

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

I will be having three book launch events in England, Scotland and Germany over the next three weeks. Details of each are below.

Leicester

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

Glasgow

Date & Time: Wednesday 24th April 18:00 -19:30

Venue: 237 Advanced Research Centre (ARC), University of Glasgow, 11 Chapel Lane, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Join Paul Reilly (University of Glasgow) and host, Dave Scott (Nil by Mouth), to celebrate the paperback launch of Paul’s book, Digital contention in a divided society: Social media, parades and protests in Northern Ireland.

They will discuss the role of social media in protests and civil unrest in Northern Ireland, followed by a Q&A session. There will be a drinks reception afterwards.

Please register for this free event here

Tübingen

With thanks to Dr. Giuliana Source, I will be delivering a lunchtime talk at the Institut für Medienwissenschaft at Tübingen University. Details on the talk can be found here.

Date & Time: Monday 29 April 12:00-13:00 (CET)

Venue: Raum 215

Book talk in Glasgow, 24 April

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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 will be having a book launch event in Glasgow on 24 April. Hosted by Dave Scott (Nil by Mouth), there will be a Q&A session followed by a drinks reception.

Date & Time: Wednesday 24th April 18:00 -19:30

Venue: 237 Advanced Research Centre (ARC), University of Glasgow, 11 Chapel Lane, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Join Paul Reilly (University of Glasgow) and host, Dave Scott (Nil by Mouth), to celebrate the paperback launch of Paul’s book, Digital contention in a divided society: Social media, parades and protests in Northern Ireland.

They will discuss the role of social media in protests and civil unrest in Northern Ireland, followed by a Q&A session. There will be a drinks reception afterwards.

Please register for the event here

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.

Book talk in Leicester on 17 April

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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.

Updated paperback of Digital Contention in a Divided Society to be published in March 2024

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My second book Digital Contention in a Divided Society is due out in paperback on 26 March 2024. It will include a new chapter that explores the role of online platforms in contentious events between 2016 and 2023. It will be on sale for £20 (much more affordable than the hardback version).

Many thanks to Rob Byron and the Manchester University Press team for their help in bringing this to fruition. I am also told there may be a new cover- more on this soon.

I am hoping do do some in-person book talks this time (when the book was launched in 2021 this wasn’t possible due to COVID-19 regulations). I will post details of these on here when they are confirmed. If you are interested in hosting one of these talks then please do contact me (paul.reilly@glasgow.ac.uk).

The updated version of Digital Contention can be preordered here