Christina is a PhD student in the media track, focusing on the political economy of social media and its relationship to American politics (specifically looking at white nationalism/supremacy). Her dissertation project (in its current evolution) examines the recruitment tactics of the Proud Boys in social media spaces (e.g., Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc). She is also interested in the relationship between social media moderation and the First Amendment.

Christina’s research philosophy acknowledges the importance of a cultural studies approach to media to complement political economic approaches. Her research also dabbles in phenomena including (but not limited to): reality television, tattoos, punk/hardcore subcultures, and health/wellness culture on social media.

Publications 

Blankenship, C. (2019). President, Wrestler, Spectacle: An Examination of Donald Trump’s Firing Tweets and The Celebrity Appresident as Response to Donald Trump’s Populist Rhetoric. Journal of Communication Inquiry. 

Presentations 

Blankenship, C. (2019). Tattoos and #MeToo: A subcultural construction of sexual harassment narratives in online spaces and community discussion via social media. Paper presented at Media and Transition 10, Boston, MA.
*Hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Blankenship, C. (2018, November). Open-Sourced E-Lore: An examination of Adam Ellis’ Dear David and Wayland Productions We’re Alive as Digital Folklore. Paper presented at the Mass Communication Division at the National Communication Association Conference, Salt Lake