Our Team

Gabrielle Dora Beacken is a doctoral candidate in the School of Journalism and Media at The University of Texas at Austin. Her research examines how political actors use emerging technologies to create and circulate propaganda, and the broader democratic implications of these practices. Drawing on qualitative methods—including digital ethnography and interviews—she holistically analyzes the social and technical components of emerging technologies deployed for anti-democratic purposes, particularly those used to disseminate deceitful or hateful messaging. Her work has appeared in Political Communication and Social Media + Society and has been presented at the International Communication Association and the Association of Internet Researchers. With prior degrees from the London School of Economics and Political Science and The College of New Jersey, as well as professional experience as a trader in Advertising Technology (AdTech), Gabrielle brings an interdisciplinary perspective to the study of political communication, media, and technology.