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

• Disinformation, propaganda and Emotional AI
• Issues of trust, accuracy and credibility in journalism;
• Media agenda-building struggles;
• The security state and public accountability.

Keywords

Emotional AI, strategic political communication, journalism, TV, social media, civil society, surveillance, sousveillance, social resistance, agenda-building, trust, intelligence agencies, risk communication, propaganda, persuasion, fake news, disinformation, emotion

Research Monographs:

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 inter-disciplinary scholar, I have won awards from diverse funding bodies including AHRC, ESRC, EPSRC. A list of my funded projects are at: 0000-0002-6828-8384

Current grants comprise:

2020 – 2023: £710,000 (comprising £497,710 FEC from ESRC, & 29,645,000 Yen from Japan Science & Technology funds). Part of UKRI-JST Joint Call on Artificial Intelligence and Society, our project is on Emotional AI in Cities: Cross Cultural Lessons from UK and Japan on Designing for An Ethical Life.  PI Andrew McStay. Co-I Vian Bakir. Other Investigators: Lachlan Urquhart (Edinburgh Univ.), Diana Miranda (Northumbria Univ.), Peter Mantello (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific Univ.), Hiromi Tanaka (Meiji Univ.), Nader Ghotbi (Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific Univ.), Hiroshi Miyashita (Chuo Univ.). Grant ref. ES/T00696X/1.

2022: £7,000 from Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Discipline hopping grant - Achieving Net Zero: A Feasibility Study into the Technical and Communicative Challenges to using Waste Heat from Nuclear Power to Heat Greenhouses (PI Anita Crompton, Co-I Vian Bakir).  

2022: £44,239.25 from Bangor University Impact Accelerator Account. ‘Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ethics & Policing in North Wales: Establishing Citizens’ Perspectives’ (Bethan Loftus (PI), Andrew McStay (Co-I), Martina Feilzer (Co-I), Vian Bakir, (Co-I)).

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

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)

• Aliah Nur Mansor: PhD: Online Fan Communities and Information Marketing Strategy of Japanese Popular Music: A Case of Johnny’s & Associates.
• Gehad Ibrahim. PhD. Journalistic Documentary in Post-Truth Dictatorships

Position: Professor of Journalism & Political Communication

Email: v.bakir@bangor.ac.uk

Phone: +44 (0) 1248 382751

Location: Main Arts

Personal website: Academia.edu   ResearchGate

Project Websites: DATA-PSST!   Intelligence Elites  Emotional AI

Current Administrative Responsibilities:

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

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