We are delighted to announce the appointment of Philip Howard as Professor of Internet Studies at the Oxford Internet Institute. He takes up his post in July 2016, when he also becomes a Fellow of Balliol College.
Professor Helen Margetts, Director of the OII, said: “I am delighted that Philip is joining the OII. He is a brilliant scholar who is carrying out social science research in areas crucial to the public interest. His taking up of the Chair will enrich our faculty with complementary expertise in new and exciting ways.”
Prof. Philip Howard is a scholar of international distinction, with an outstanding record of research publication on the impact of digital media on political life around the world, particularly on the use of digital media for social control and political activism in both democracies and authoritarian regimes. A frequent commentator on global media and political affairs, he has published eight books and over 100 academic articles.
His new ERC-funded project “Computational Propaganda” is investigating the role of “political bots” (automated scripts, or computational propaganda) in manipulating public opinion, demobilizing opposition, and generating false support on popular sites like Twitter, Facebook, and Sina Weibo, usually in order to promote the interests of a government in trouble.
Philip Howard joins us from the University of Washington’s Department of Communication.
