Ryan Stoldt
Writer. Researcher. Teacher. Musician.
Research
Ryan’s research focuses on the intersections between digital media studies and global media studies.
Creative Works
Ryan writes and records music for multiple projects. His band Twin Cities released an EP entitled “Everything Must Go” in late 2019.
NEWS AND UPCOMING TALKS
“Algorithmic Personalization and Online Radicalization” Research Group Awarded $1 Million+ Grant from U.S. Dept. of Defense
The United States Dept. of Defense awarded Ryan’s research group $1.1 million to pursue research exploring how and why some people adopt extreme political and cultural views online. Ryan will be working on the grant as the research assistant for the 2020-2021 academic school year.
“Reconsidering Quality: Cosmopolitan Audiences as Markers of Quality” at AEJMC 2020
Ryan will be presenting on television “quality” at AEJMC on August 5, 2020. This talk argues that shows that travel transnationally serve as markers of quality for internet-distributed television services.
New Article: Ethics of Authenticity: Social Media Influencers and the Production of Sponsored Content
The Journal of Media Ethics published Ryan and his co-author’s new article, “Ethics of Authenticity: Social Media Influencers and the Production of Sponsored Content.” Influencers consider ethics through their relationship with their audience and their personal brand. The article argues that influencers believe it’s ethically okay to produce sponsored content if the content is authentic…
RECENT WORK
Latest Article:
“Ethics of Authenticity: Social Media Influencers and the Production of Sponsored Content” in The Journal of Media Ethics
Ryan and his co-authors argue that influencers consider ethics through their relationship with their audience and their personal brand. Influencers believe it’s ethically okay to produce sponsored content if the content is authentic to both their brand and their audience.
Latest Column:
“Interactive Television as a Cultural Forum: Storytelling and Meaning-Making in Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” in Flow
This article argues that the narrative choices audiences make while watching interactive television are shaped by their social situation. Interactive television continues to offer polysemy, but readings are pre-shaped by the narratives audiences choose to see.
Latest Music:
Everything Must Go EP by Twin Cities
As Twin Cities’ first release since their first full length record, the Everything Must Go EP expands on the band’s melodically driven indie rock sound. Blending contemplative, playful, and embarrassingly punny lyrics, the new EP confronts listeners with questions about knowing themselves and how they connect with the world.
About Ryan
Ryan Stoldt is an assistant professor at Drake University. His work has appeared in Social Media + Society, The Journal of Media Ethics, and Flow.
Ryan Stoldt 