Strengthening Public Opinion Formation Amid Digital Threats. Online public opinion formation is broken, and research on how to fix it is urgently required. This project investigates how people form op

Description

Strengthening Public Opinion Formation Amid Digital Threats. Online public opinion formation is broken, and research on how to fix it is urgently required. This project investigates how people form opinions online by analysing discussions about key flashpoints like climate change and immigration on mainstream social media platforms. It is the first cross-platform study of opinion formation that uses an innovative mix of relational content analysis, interviews, citizen science workshops and AI/LLM-assisted analysis. It reclaims the promise of online communication for constructive public conversations and resilient opinion formation by developing, among others, a civic literacy module designed to equip citizens of all ages with critical tools for navigating digital opinion formation.. Scheme: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. Field: 4701 - Communication and Media Studies. Lead: Dr Katharina Esau