Digitally-Assisted Propaganda, Hegemonic Narratives, and (Self-) Censorship

Abstract

This panel examines information-control strategies in non-democratic countries. As agenda control has become an essential skill for modern autocrats, and overt censorship has proven risky—because it can backfire and generate greater demand for uncensored information—the analysis of strategies used to shape narratives and public attention in digital environments has become particularly important. We invite papers that analyze both the supply side—how regimes and affiliated actors attempt to manipulate online information environments—and the demand side—how users and dissenting actors respond, either with resilience or by moderating their own behavior because of these manipulations. Methodologically, we seek computational, experimental, and mixed-method designs with either a comparative or single-case study focus.

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