Media, Information, Data and Society (MIDAS) Lab

MIDAS Lab ecenters on data-driven research to understand how digital/social media affects the ways in which we socialize with others, understand the world, and engage with civic and political life.

Several ways you can get involved:

(1) Join an ongoing project (see "Currrent Projects" below).

(2) Do you have a research idea that seems relevant to this group? Talk to me, I'd be happy to guide you to the right direction!

(3) Are you working on an investigative or data journalism project about digital media and society, and looking for data or resources? Check out with me for possible uses of project data, publications, or interviews.

Scholars at any level --undergraduate, graduate, and faculty members --are welcome! Ping me (khkwon@asu.edu) if you want to learn more about the lab 🌵🌵

Projects

Misinformation, Rumors, and Disinformation

The lab is interested in understanding audience engagement with misinformation, rumors, and disinformation and how that affects the ways in which problematic information evolves. A part of this project is supported by the National Science Foundation.

a street scene of Hong Kong during the 2019 protest

Networked Publics, Intermedia Framing, and Contentious Politics

A series of projects have explored the intersection of digital news and information flow media and social movement/collective actions.

For example,

  • Digital Publics, Propaganda, and Hong Kongn Protest: To understand how rumors and propaganda messages are interpolated in digital narratives surrounding Hong Kong Protest. The project leverages both digital data and survey data; and use a mixed method approach. A part of this project is supported by National Science Foundation, and ASU's Institute for Social Science Research.

  • Intermedia Agenda Setting of Gun Control Movement: This project uses a properitary Facebook URL data to understand the information diffusion that led to #MarchForOurLives, the largest student-led protest in the U.S. history. This project is supported by Social Science Research Council.

FBI notice on the seizure of a darkwebsite.

Dark Social Web

This project investigates knoweldge sharing in dark social web. The study involves reddit data analysis and observational fieldwork in dark web sites. This study is supported by Department of Defense.

A vigil in support of the Muslim community in Montreal, Quebec on January 30, 2017 (photo from Reuter)

Networked Publics and Extreme Events

A series of projects have studied the ways in which networked publics make sense of extreme events such as terrorist attacks, mass shooting, or public health crisis. If anyone wants to explore this topical area, you're on the right place.

The leader of S.Korea's most notorious troll farm (Druking) arrested.

Fake Social Engagement in Disinformation

This project uses a large scale click-stream data from one of the largest digital platform in South Korea, to undertand the impact of digital manipulation in online discoursive particiaton.

Extenral Collaborators:

  • Dr. Sang Pil Han (assoc. prof at WP Carey School of Business, ASU)

  • Dr. Mihyun Lii (asst. prof at Northwestern Univ.)

  • Dr. Sungho Park (assoc prof. at Seoul National Univ., South Korea)

Members | Collaborators

Current Student Members:

Faculty Collaborators:

  • Dr. Shawn Walker, asst. professor at School of Social and Behavioral Science, ASU

  • Dr. Yunya "Celine" Song, assoc. professor at Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong.

  • Dr. Monica Chadha, assoc. professor at Univeirsty of Arizona

  • Dr. Kirstin Pellizzaro, asst. professor at University of South Carolina (and a proud Cronkite alumni)

MIDAS Lab has been supported by:

  • Department of Defense: Army Research Office

  • Social Science Research Council and Social Science One

  • National Science Foundation

  • ASU Institue for Social Science Research