Empowering citizens

How new media facilitate civic engagement

This PhD project aims to investigate how citizens use different forms of new media as a political tool. The project particularly focuses on citizens who create their own media content, such as online political video games, political remix videos and political machinimas. These media practices, forms of user-generated content (UGC), are seen as creative works that are usually embedded in a framework of popular culture. By reappropriating this material, either through remixing with own material, news footage, or gameplay for example, a new critical reading is created in the form of a social and/or political commentary about a certain issue relevant to the creator. As such, this type of media practice can be regarded a specific expression of civic engagement. This project includes explorations on three dimensions: the creators, the audience and the media text itself.

Research team

Joyce Neys, MSc

PhD Candidate

Portrait Joyce Neys

Prof. dr. Jeroen Jansz

Promotor

Portrait picture of Jeroen Jansz

Publications