City University of Hong Kong
CityUHK Announcement Portal (CAP)
City University of Hong Kong
CityUHK Announcement Portal (CAP)

Posting Detail

COM Research Seminar: Informational Asymmetries in Digital Media: How AI Affordances and Institutional Strategies Continue to Shape our Information Ecosystems by Dr. Subhayan Mukerjee
(POSTED: 2026-03-11 4:31 PM )
Media: How AI Affordances and Institutional Strategies Continue to Shape our Information Ecosystems by Dr. Subhayan Mukerjee, National University of Singapore. Date & Time: 4 May 2026, 16:00 - 17:30. Venue: Multimedia Laboratory (M5055),5/F, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre, please click https://www.cityu.edu.hk/com/Public/AppForms/StI_AppForm.aspx?id=1411 to register for the seminar by 4 May 2026. Language: English. Abstract Current discourse on digital platforms is dominated by the "polarization paradigm," yet empirical evidence suggests a more complex structural reality. This talk traces a research trajectory that challenges conventional narratives by centring on the tension between political interest and large-scale indifference. I begin by briefly discussing my own prior work that identified the political-non-political binary as a primary structural cleavage. Building on this foundation, I explore how this divide interacts with new technological affordances and institutional strategies through two recent studies.The first study examines the consumption layer, investigating how users engage with novel AI-assisted affordances for information verification on social media. Our findings suggest that even within a landscape of general political apathy, specific elite-driven stimuli act as unique catalysts for user agency. The second study addresses the production layer, proposing a model of strategic ideological differentiation. We find that media outlets actively calibrate their output to distinguish themselves from rivals – a behaviour that is intensely domain-specific, prevalent in the political sphere but notably absent in entertainment. Ultimately, this research trajectory reveals a digital ecosystem where platform affordances and institutional behaviours co-evolve to reinforce systemic divides, even for an audience that remains largely politically disinterested. About the speaker: Subhayan Mukerjee (PhD, University of Pennsylvania) is an Assistant Professor of Computational Communication in the Department of Communications and New Media at the National University of Singapore. Leaning into a meandering background in mathematics, engineering, and communication science, his research employs advanced computational methods to map the complexities of digital media platforms and online audience behaviour.Dr. Mukerjee’s research has been published in top-tier communication journals as well as leading interdisciplinary venues, and he is a recipient of multiple "Top Paper" awards from the International Communication Association (ICA). His work is characterised by an interdisciplinary commitment to bridging social scientific inquiry with statistical rigor, grounded in epistemic humility toward rapidly evolving digital systems. For enquiries, please call 34428677.
Category:
Academic Seminar
Department:
Department of Media and Communication (COM)
Venue:
Multimedia Laboratory (M5055), 5/F, Run Run Shaw Creative Media Centre
Start Date:
2026-05-04 16:00
End Date:
2026-05-04 17:30
Open and Add event to my calendar