For our next Rethinking Politics in Data Times seminar series we're excited to invite Dr Anastasia Denisova from the Communication and Media Research Institute at the University of Westminster to talk about Memes, virality and Russian politics. Dr. Denisova will talk about new creative means of expression that were enabled by the interactive technologies. Not only people can communicate and upload their ideas and opinions online, they can actively participate in shaping of the agenda, respond to the narratives of decision-makers and subvert ideologies. One of the means of communication of the digital natives – memes – can be used in oh so many ways, from the digital folklore and slang, to the tools of political resistance to media hegemony and propaganda. This talk will draw on the main principles of meme theory and use examples from the Russian twitter, as well as link meme studies from the Western and non-Western perspectives.

Anastasia Denisova is a Lecturer in Journalism at the Communication and Media Research Institute at the University of Westminster, UK. She has researched and published academic articles on memes, viral stories, parody and social media, propaganda and resistance via creative means online. The links to her journalism and academic pieces are all here: https://camri.ac.uk/staff/anastasia-denisova/

When: Thursday, February 8th 2018, at 5pm.

Where: Windsor Building, Room 103, Royal Holloway University, Egham.

All the seminar series events are live-tweeted, Join us for the debate -> #RethinkingPoliticsData

We will also have recap blogs and podcasts with the speakers so stay tuned!

Entry is free of charge and we look forward to thinking and debating with you about the future of politics in data times - All welcome!