Comfort Umoren-Olorunnisomo

Comfort Umoren-Olorunnisomo is a Ph.D. student whose research explores the intricate intersections of social media, disinformation, and social movements in the global north and global south. Her work investigates how misleading narratives spread on social media platforms and how these dynamics shape public discourse, activism, and political participation in democratic societies. She uses qualitative methods such as digital ethnography, interviews, and discourse analysis to examine the hidden power dynamics in digital platforms and the countermeasures movements employ to challenge or change dominant narratives.

She has published two academic publications and 50+ newspaper articles during her years as a reporter in Nigeria. She has presented her work at both local and international academic conferences. In 2023, Comfort served as a global communications fellow at Deseret Management Corporation (DMC) through the prestigious Atlas Corps Fellowship program in Washington, D.C., where she contributed to strategic media and communication initiatives with a global impact.

Umoren-Olorunnisomo is currently working on a paper on social media disinformation campaigns against the #BlackLivesMatter movement in the United States and the #EndSARS movement in Nigeria, as well as the implications of these on democratic processes.

M.A., Communication and Language Art, University of Ibadan
B.A., Communication and Language Art, University of Ibadan
O.N.D., Mass Communication, Lagos State Polytechnic

Digital Ethnography Working Group