Brandon C. Harris, Christine H. Tran, Christopher J. Persaud
{"title":"Contextual governance & androcentric hegemony on Twitch.tv","authors":"Brandon C. Harris, Christine H. Tran, Christopher J. Persaud","doi":"10.1177/14614448251370965","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448251370965","url":null,"abstract":"Twitch’s Terms of Service (ToS) and Community Guidelines (CG) policies forbid discriminatory behavior and harassment, but many streamers from marginalized communities have been victimized while their harassers go unpunished. These inconsistencies in how safety violations are managed prompted the author(s) to perform a two-stage analysis of Twitch’s platform governance strategies to understand the relationship between platform governance and androcentric hegemony. The first stage included an inductive thematic analysis of ToS and CG documents, leading to the second analysis of two case studies that specify inconsistencies in policy enforcement dependent on opaque contextual exceptions. Ultimately, the authors provide evidence of contextual exceptions for safety, edgy humor, attire, and nudity which demonstrate how Twitch’s inconsistent governance reifies androcentric hegemony that benefits all men, rather than geek masculinity that largely prioritizes white men.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147649199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Just a meme? The role of context in mythologies of memetic misogyny","authors":"Suay Melisa Özkula, Patricia Prieto-Blanco","doi":"10.1177/14614448251396942","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448251396942","url":null,"abstract":"This article provides a multiplatform systematic analysis of contextual factors in what we term <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">memetic misogyny</jats:italic> , a form of implicit, polysemous and ephemeral visual gender-based hate. We draw on a feminist ethnographic approach with a semiotic analysis applied across three case studies of meme-based misogyny (Greta Thunberg, Karens and anti-feminist memes related to protest # <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">SisterIDoBelieveYou</jats:italic> ) on Twitter/X, Facebook, Reddit and YouTube to argue that <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">memetic misogyny</jats:italic> is created, maintained and co-shaped by (1) misogynistic contents (depictions, aesthetics and narrative framing), (2) platform affordances (real and imagined) – above all meme affordances and (3) the hegemonic discourses of the cultural communities where these are distributed. In combination, these three create what we call <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">mythologies of memetic misogyny</jats:italic> , that is, gendered socio-cultural and socio-political narratives that present misogynistic ideas as if they were natural, universal and timeless gendered truths, often going unnoticed because of the volatile, polysemous and polycontextual nature of memes.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147649156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jiyoun Suk, Sara Holland Levin, Jocelyn Steinke, Kyle Schnitzer, Amanda Coletti, Christine Gilbert, Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch
{"title":"Trending women in STEM: Visual space-making on TikTok","authors":"Jiyoun Suk, Sara Holland Levin, Jocelyn Steinke, Kyle Schnitzer, Amanda Coletti, Christine Gilbert, Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch","doi":"10.1177/14614448261433481","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261433481","url":null,"abstract":"While previous research has established foundational knowledge on how women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) social media content creators use digital platforms to combat stereotypes, less is known about how they make space for themselves on visually dominant platforms. We address this gap by theorizing visual space-making as the coordinated use of visual cues into reproducible, platform-legible visual configurations that create recognizable “places” of belonging and authority within networked counterpublics. We employ visual clustering of video frames and topic modeling of text to identify recurring patterns in STEM-related TikTok content and examine their relationship with audience engagement. Results show that identity-oriented visuals are more prevalent than expertise-oriented visuals but applied differently across content topics. Identity-oriented visuals are more likely to be associated with higher comment rates, whereas expertise-oriented visuals are associated with higher share rates. Results suggest implications for balancing identity and expertise self-presentation in digital spaces for women in STEM.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"46 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147641403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Compounded marginalization in social media politics: How religious and gender identities shape online harassment and the cost of political engagement","authors":"Saifuddin Ahmed, Ruolan Deng, Muhammad Masood","doi":"10.1177/14614448261430019","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261430019","url":null,"abstract":"This study examines the intersection of political social media use, online harassment resulting from political expression, and the perceived physical, social, and emotional costs of political engagement and how these dynamics differ across religion and gender. Using survey data in India, we find that frequent political use of social media is associated with online harassment, especially among religious minorities and most intensely among minority women. Although political social media use alone does not heighten perceived political costs, these costs increase indirectly through experiences of harassment. Further probing reveals that this indirect effect is more substantial for religious minorities, with no significant gender differences. These results highlight how online political engagement is not experienced equally, as identity-based vulnerabilities amplify the emotional and psychological burdens of political engagement. Ultimately, rather than serving as inclusive public spheres, social media platforms reproduce existing offline hierarchies, placing the heaviest burdens of visibility on marginalized groups.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147635992","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bouziane Zaid, Mohammed Ibahrine, Mohamed Ben Moussa
{"title":"Networked Islam and liquid authority: Everyday influencers and young Muslim practice","authors":"Bouziane Zaid, Mohammed Ibahrine, Mohamed Ben Moussa","doi":"10.1177/14614448261436035","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261436035","url":null,"abstract":"The rise of digital Islam has opened organic spaces in which Muslims learn, debate, and live their faith online, reshaping how religious influence and credibility emerge. While professional influencers often dominate digital religious spaces, everyday influencers, lacking formal religious authority yet embedded in close peer networks, play a crucial role in shaping religious practice. Drawing on 40 in‑depth semi‑structured interviews conducted between November 2024 and February 2025 in Egypt, Morocco, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, this article engages Campbell’s framework of networked religion as a point of dialogue rather than a fixed model. We propose the concept of liquid authority to explain how religious credibility emerges through trust, relational proximity, and algorithmic visibility in digital contexts. Findings show that social media complements rather than replaces traditional religious practice. While formal scholars remain central to institutional authority, algorithmically mediated and peer‑embedded forms of authority increasingly shape lived religious practice.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"195 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147635825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating uncertainty in human-AI relationships: An investigation of communal uncertainty reduction strategies","authors":"Hongyuan Gan, Han Li, Jinyuan Zhan, Renwen Zhang","doi":"10.1177/14614448261433959","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261433959","url":null,"abstract":"This study extends uncertainty reduction theory beyond dyadic interaction by introducing <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">communal uncertainty reduction strategies</jats:italic> in human-AI socio-emotional communication, wherein users navigate AI-related uncertainty by engaging with both AI chatbots and online communities. Through the content analysis of 1772 posts and 3021 comments extracted from 35,579 conversation episodes in the Replika subreddit, we identify five community practices (e.g. anchoring, help-seeking), five peer response types (e.g. collaborative interpretation, group identification), and four uncertainty reduction outcomes (e.g. behavioral pattern recognition, predictive understanding), demonstrating that uncertainty reduction is a triadic process involving users, AI, and communities. The findings illustrate how communal uncertainty reduction transforms AI opacity into shared knowledge and solidarity, offering a new framework for understanding uncertainty in human-AI relationships.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"112 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147635993","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rethinking the problem of misinformation and its solutions","authors":"Sacha Altay","doi":"10.1177/14614448261428635","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261428635","url":null,"abstract":"The way a problem is framed shapes its solutions. This article reframes the problem of misinformation and examines the implications of this shift for interventions against misinformation. It advances five arguments that challenge common narratives about misinformation and invite us to rethink both the problem and its solutions. For instance, exposure to misinformation is lower than often believed, people are less gullible than commonly assumed, and misinformation often reflects, rather than causes, underlying sociopolitical issues. These insights point toward strategies that address the root causes of the problem rather than surface symptoms. Key shifts include focusing on the demand for misinformation, fostering trust in reliable sources, and strengthening democratic institutions. Combating misinformation effectively requires a clear understanding of the problem and a break with popular misconceptions about it.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147598587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lili R Romann, Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch, Nazanin Andalibi
{"title":"The balancing act: User responsibility and platform accountability in the context of mental illness-related content consumption","authors":"Lili R Romann, Anne Oeldorf-Hirsch, Nazanin Andalibi","doi":"10.1177/14614448261435958","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261435958","url":null,"abstract":"Although social media platforms provide affirming information and interactions, they might also serve as venues to (re)traumatize individuals through exposure to sensitive content, especially related to mental illness (e.g. suicide, self-harm). Applying the trauma-informed design framework, we employ a two-pronged methodological approach to evaluate (1) what potentially sensitive or traumatizing content relate to mental illness individuals report consuming on social media (i.e. seeking content out voluntarily or via algorithmic exposure); (2) perceptions of the role of the user and social media platforms, respectively, in integrating trauma-informed approaches; and (3) suggestions for how social media moderation policies could be (more) trauma-informed. We identified a spectrum among participants of perceived responsibility of individuals using social media and social media platforms for moderating sensitive and/or traumatic mental illness-related content.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"3 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147598589","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Black wife, upgraded life: An examination of the commodification of Black womanhood and racework in interracial relationships on social media","authors":"Ayleen Cabas-Mijares, Rachel Grant, Joy Jenkins","doi":"10.1177/14614448261435122","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261435122","url":null,"abstract":"The Black Wife Effect (BWE) trend took TikTok by storm around May 2024, when predominantly white men showcased makeovers attributed to their Black wives. We used a multimodal critical discourse analysis of BWE posts to evaluate how these media construct Black womanhood and their intimate labor in the context of interracial relationships. The findings show that, through digital racework, the BWE trend constitutes a set of replicable controlling images that commodify Black women’s intimate labor while rendering it invisible. Although Black women’s influence on their husbands is celebrated, most social media users constructed the BWE as a “natural” outcome of healthy interracial love, a non-market activity expected from Black women. These findings reflect the contradictions at the foundation of racial heteropatriarchal capitalist systems in the information age, wherein white men and others seek after, symbolically celebrate, and monetize the labor of racialized women while denying its economic value.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"18 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147598586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Flattening the and news: Platformisation the erosion of topical diversity across news outlet types","authors":"Steen Steensen, Håvard Kiberg, Bente Kalsnes, Gunhild Ring Olsen, Lasha Kavtaradze","doi":"10.1177/14614448261430018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14614448261430018","url":null,"abstract":"This article examines how platformisation reshapes topical diversity across news outlet types in Norway. Using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modelling and diversity indices on more than 220,000 articles from 22 national, regional, local and niche outlets, it compares content published on proprietary websites with that on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The findings reveal a ‘flattening’ of the news agenda on social media. While distinctions between news outlet types remain clear online, they largely disappear on social media, where engagement-driven logics promote soft topics. The effect is strongest for local outlets, whose civic and community-oriented reporting gives way to sports, human interest and entertainment news. Ownership explains little once editorial type is considered. The study demonstrates how platformisation erodes local journalism’s distinctiveness and challenges media policies designed to safeguard diversity and democratic pluralism in the digital public sphere.","PeriodicalId":19149,"journal":{"name":"New Media & Society","volume":"20 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147586634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}