I research the interplay between journalism and political and risk communication across 4 areas:

• Disinformation, misinformation, propaganda
• Emotional AI, profiling, surveillance, sousveillance
• Issues of trust, accuracy and credibility in journalism;
• The security state and public accountability.

Keywords

digital political communication, digital journalism, risk communication, disinformation, misinformation, persuasion, agenda-building, trust, emotional AI, sur/sous/veillance, security state, citizen’s juries, qualitative social science research, surveys, textual analysis of media

Books:

Briant E. & Bakir, V. (eds.) 2024. Routledge Handbook of the Influence Industry. New York: Routledge

Bakir, V. and A. McStay, 2022. Optimising Emotions, Incubating Falsehoods. Palgrave-Macmillan/Springer. [open access]

Bakir, V. 2018.Intelligence Elites and Public Accountability: Relationships of Influence with Civil Society. London: Routledge.

Bakir, V. 2013. Torture, Intelligence and Sousveillance in the War on Terror: Agenda–Building Struggles. Routledge.

Bakir, V. 2010. Sousveillance, Media and Strategic Political Communication: Iraq, USA, UK. New York: Continuum.

Bakir, V. & D.Barlow, (eds.) 2007. Communication in the Age of Suspicion: Trust and the Media. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan.

Research awards:

As an interdisciplinary scholar, I have won awards from diverse funding bodies e.g. AHRC, ESRC, EPSRC, NERC, Innovate UK, Arts Councils. A list of my funded projects are at: 0000-0002-6828-8384

Current grants comprise:

2023-2025: £364,000 FEC. Automated Empathy – Globalising International Standards (AEGIS): Japan and Ethically Aligned Regions. UKRI Technologies Mission Fund - Impact Accelerator. (PI Andrew McStay, Co-Is Vian Bakir, Phoebi Li (Univ of Sussex), Ben Bland (Chair of IEEE working group), Alexander Laffer Univ. of Winchester)

2023- . £38m. Welsh Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) – Contribution to Sociology & Science and Technology Pathway (in the “Society and Wellbeing” cluster). 

Teaching and Supervision

Undergraduate modules taught:

• Issues in Media & Journalism
• Journalism and Risk Society
• Media, Politics & Society
• Digital Journalism & Society
• Dissertation in Journalism & Media Studies
• Dissertation in Politics
• MA Dissertation in Sociology
• MSc Dissertation in International Media Management

PhD and MRes students:

I am interested in supervising students in a wide range of areas including contemporary political communication, journalism, disinformation, deception, digital media, intelligence elites, discourse, accountability and power.

Current (1st supervisor)

• Gehad Ibrahim. PhD. Journalistic Documentary in Post-Truth Dictatorships
• Mashavu Mohamed. PhD. Social media and audiences in Zanzibar

Position: Professor of Journalism & Political Communication

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +44 (0) 1248 382751

Location: Main Arts

Personal websites: Academia.edu   ResearchGate

Project Websites: DATA-PSST!   Intelligence Elites  Emotional AI

BlueSky: @VianBakir.bsky.social

X:  @VianBakir1

Current Administrative Responsibilities:

Co-Director of Network for Study of Media and Persuasive Communication.  

School of History, Law & Social Science Research Committee (grant leadership)