Exploring 'Fanspiracy': Dr. Petersen Presents at AoIR2024

Dr. Line Nybro Petersen, associate professor in Media Studies at the University of Copenhagen and a key member of the SMIDGE Project, presented her latest research at the 2024 Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) Conference, held from October 30 to November 2 in Sheffield, UK. Hosted by the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, the AoIR conference is an internationally renowned gathering of scholars and researchers investigating internet culture, technology, and society.

Dr. Petersen’s presentation, titled All the World's a Clue: Forensic Play as Participatory Practice between Fandom and Conspiracy Theories, examined how fandom culture and conspiracy theories intersect, forming what is often described as “fanspiracy.” This concept, developed by scholars like Driessen, Jones and Litherland, reveals how fan-like practices increasingly shape online conspiracy narratives, political engagement and even radicalization processes.

As part of a session titled Play, Polarization, and Participation: Exploring Ambiguous Fannish Practices in Online Networks, Dr. Petersen joined scholars who are shedding light on the “fanspiracy” phenomenon. Across five papers, the session explored the cultural, social and technological dynamics driving fan-like conspiratorial practices, examining how they impact discourse on real-world issues. The panel discussed how creative interpretation, decoding and performative play around political themes can blend pleasurable engagement with propaganda or indoctrination, resulting in ambiguous and complex forms of online participation.

For more details about the panel: https://www.conftool.org/aoir2024/index.php?page=browseSessions&form_session=233#paperID476