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Research interests
I research the intersections of media, digital platforms, and society, with a particular emphasis on political discourse. My work employs digital mixed-methods approach, integrating quantitative and computational analyses of large-scale digital data with qualitative methods such as interviews and thematic analysis.
I have examined topics such as how Scandinavian Twitter users engaged with the 2016 and 2020 U.S. elections, how nationalism is articulated through deterritorialized digital debates, and how low-activity social media users contribute to the spread of (mis)information in crises like the war in Ukraine. My work has analyzed the role of digital platforms in shaping cosmopolitan memory after the murder of George Floyd, the ways in which multilingual Twitter networks framed the COVID-19 pandemic across Norway, Korea, and Italy, and how public sentiment toward wind energy in Norway can be understood through machine learning techniques. I have also investigated the role of private platforms, such as Twitter under Elon Musk, in moderating war coverage, and how local and global actors influence Scandinavian place branding.
I am currently working on a project as part of EU Kids Online that examines the role of influencers in young people’s media environments in Norway. The project focuses on the political content of videos posted by the influencers who are most popular among Norwegian youth, and explores how political ideas are communicated in formats and contexts that are not always perceived as explicitly political.
Data Protection Notice
I have collected data from TikTok on the Norwegian elections in 2023 and 2025. In connection with this research, I will collect metadata on videos publicly posted from Norway that include the word “valg.” This data will be encrypted and stored safely on university servers; usernames and other account information from private users will not be published or shared as part of this research.
This project has undergone a privacy protection assessment and has been approved by Sikt, based on the provision of GDPR that allows for research and archiving data in the public interest (Art. 9, No. 2(j)). In accordance with data protection regulations, individuals part of the data collection can request to see their data or request to withdraw their data from this study. Such requests can be made to me via email.
Teaching
MEVIT4810 – Introduction to media and communication research: Theory of science and methodology
MEVIT4320 – Political Communication: Opinion Processes and Influence
MEVIT1011 – Medieanalyse: Data- og innholdsanalyse
MEVIT4811 – Quantitative Methodology in media studies
MEVIT2600 – Media Effects: Attitudes, behavior and opinion formation
Background
Jessica Robinson holds a Ph.D. and an M.Phil. in media studies from the University of Oslo. She has a B.A. in journalism from Southern Oregon University, USA.
Previously, Jessica worked as a journalist for NPR stations in the western United States.