I’m Josh, a second year graduate student in Comparative Media Studies. My previous credits include working as a Research Assistant at the University of Oxford’s Internet Institute, and as a Field Organizer on the Obama re-election campaign in New Hampshire. I’ve also worn several media hats: I previously sub-edited a news website called The Vibe, which provides a space for writing and original journalism by students and young people, and I’m a staff writer for MIT’s The Tech. (I also do the occasional radio interview for The Monocle 24.)

From my perspective, this class sits perfectly at the intersection of research and practice. My graduate thesis (due in May) looks at how Donald Trump was able to gain the attention and support needed to win the presidency, especially in respect to the use of his Twitter account. The story I’m telling obviously has a lot to do with the news media and its reporting role, in the age of email hacks, dossier leaks, nocturnal tweets, and other virtual flotsam.

Get @ me @JoshCowls, and on www.joshcowls.com. I’m also part way through an attempt to write 100 words every day for 100 days – you can follow my progress at medium.com/@JoshCowls.