PhD student Joanne Farrall wins Vanier Scholarship for significant research in Communication.
The story of 28-year old Sandra Bland’s death in Texas drew media attention as one of several deaths of African-Americans in police custody in recent years.
But for Joanne Farrall, a doctoral student of communication in the School of Journalism and Communication, one of the most intriguing parts of Sandra Bland’s case was what happened after her death.
“Sandra Bland’s ordinary online footprint was used by both the police and her family,” explains Farrall, who is studying how social media and a public persona can be used for and against victims of violence. “The police publicized a YouTube video in which Bland mentioned having PTSD—as supposed evidence that she was not murdered by police. At the same time, her family used the archive of her selfies on Instagram as a counter narrative.”
Farrall’s research is focused on what happens when social media posts are used by various actors to manipulate public opinion. In these cases, the testimony of women who are victims of violence can be deployed as a justification for further violence.
“These victims have their stories taken up and used towards political ends in ways that they could not have predicted and may not have agreed with, were they alive to speak,” explains Farrall, who also studied the case of teenager Amanda Todd. “This often shifts the focus from what happened to the victim towards a debate about what kind of a person they were.”
The Vanier Scholarship is worth $50,000 per year for up to three years, which Farrall describes as “life changing”. She is also thankful for the support she’s received from her supervisor, Professor of Communication Sheryl Hamilton, and the School of Journalism and Communication.
