SNSF Improving Public Discourse
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colin henry
researcher / political behavior × digital platforms
Postdoctoral researcher at the University of Zürich, Department of Political Science
status
I'm part of the Political Behavior and Digital Media research group
and technical lead on the SNSF Improving Public Discourse project.
I study how digital platform architecture influences political behavior and community dynamics — with a focus on extremism and hate speech.
Previously a research fellow at George Washington University's Dynamic Online Networks Lab.
projects
Dissertation
Title. "Governance, Competition, & Extremism: How the Structure of Social Media Platforms Radicalizes Communities"
Core argument. Platform governance structures create competitive dynamics between communities that systematically drive radicalization. A comparative study of digital architectures and how they shape collective behavior.
Methods. Multi-platform analysis (Reddit, Twitter, Telegram, TikTok, YouTube), transformer models, network analysis, digital ethnography.
Advised by. Jennifer Larson (co-chair), Cassy Dorff (co-chair), Emily Ritter, Anita Gohdes (Hertie School).
VIRENA
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published
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Does Violence Against Journalists Deter Detailed Reporting? Evidence From Mexico
Journal of Conflict Resolution · July 2023
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Digital Footprints and Data-Security Risks for Political Scientists
PS: Political Science & Politics · Vol 55, Issue 4 · October 2022
in progress
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When Do Social Media Platforms Intervene in Online Hate Communities?Revise & Resubmit, Journal of Politics · with Long, Sear, N. Johnson, Wuchty, N. Johnson, Lupu
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Content and Competition: Structural Sources of Online ExtremismUnder Review · Job Market Paper
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From Seeds to Communities: Adaptive Snowball Sampling and Community Detection in Cross-Platform Political NetworksUnder Review
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Scrolling through Hate: TikTok, Hate Speech and Content ModerationDraft · with Donnay, Gilardi, Gennaro, Hangartner, Guinaudeau, Messing, Tucker
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Indirect Effects of Content Moderation Errors: A Chatroom Experiment with AI AgentsDraft · with Formisano, Mahbub Proma, Donnay, Gilardi
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Varieties of Platform GovernanceDraft
elsewhere
- Google Scholar — publications & citations
- LinkedIn — professional network
- University of Zürich — current affiliation
- Vanderbilt — job-market profile
- Bluesky — @henryhenryhenry.com
- Mastodon — @cmhenry_@mas.to
contact
researchers, search committees, curious visitors — say hi.