Casual Democracy. Public Connectivity and Informed Citizenship in Places Left Behind by Journalism

This project analyses public spheres in local communities in which journlaism no longer play a significant role. The aim is to investigate to what degree local public spheres dominated by social media platforms facilitate public connectivity, informed citizenship and democratic participation in a time when local journalism is declining and digital news and information networks have emerged. The project is based on theories and previous research on participatory democracy and news and information networks.

The project will analyse the public spheres in two local communites in Europe: Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, Denmark, and a local community near Bournemouth, UK (possibly). The project leader will live in both of these communities for 5-6 months during 2020 and 2021.

Ulitmately, the project analyses how platformisation affects local democracy. The results will be published as a research monograph and in one or two more narrowly focused research articles.

This project analyses public spheres in local communities in which journlaism no longer play a significant role. The aim is to investigate to what degree local public spheres dominated by social media platforms facilitate public connectivity, informed citizenship and democratic participation in a time when local journalism is declining and digital news and information networks have emerged. The project is based on theories and previous research on participatory democracy and news and information networks.

The project will analyse the public spheres in two local communites in Europe: Frederiksberg in Copenhagen, Denmark, and a local community near Bournemouth, UK (possibly). The project leader will live in both of these communities for 5-6 months during 2020 and 2021.

Ulitmately, the project analyses how platformisation affects local democracy. The results will be published as a research monograph and in one or two more narrowly focused research articles.

The project will utilizes the following methods in the two case studies:

• Autoethnography: The project leader will live in each of the two local communities for 5-6 months while trying to navigate the local public spheres. A reserach diary will be the central means of collectint data from this method
• Analaysis of local social media groups and pages: The project will use CrowdTangle to analyze information flows and degress of interactions in open, local Facebook groups and pages. 
• Semi-structured interviews: Key information brokers (editors, Facebook group administrators, journalists, communication officers, etc) and members of the public will be asked to particiipate in interviews.
• Cross-media content and information flow analysis of local media: The project will analyse 3-5 spesific stories in both communities and how information about these stories is distributed and framed across multiple media and different user groups.