Dr. Carly Dybka is the most recent graduate from Carleton’s PhD program in Communication.
The Communication and Media Studies program is proud to congratulate Dr. Carly Dybka, who graduated with her PhD in Communication in June. Dybka’s dissertation research, which focused on social media monitoring by branches of the Government of Canada, contributes to an important field of study that is both under-researched and relevant to the current moment.
Dybka, who works for Justice Canada as a Director of Communications, examined how federal government communications branches monitor social media to understand how issues are being discussed by the public, as well as the monitoring tools they use in service of this goal. “Carly’s dissertation offers unique and valuable insight into the practice of social media monitoring by the Government of Canada,” said Dr. Mary Francoli (Associate Professor, Communication and Media Studies), who served as Dybka’s PhD supervisor.
In addition to exploring what kind of public is constructed through this monitoring, Dybka’s research investigated how the nature of communications branches themselves have shaped social media monitoring in terms of their priorities and their handling of the large and small data they use.
“The work of government communications branches is generally under-studied in both public administration and communication,” Dybka said. “As a new function, social media monitoring introduces unprecedented opportunities and challenges for these branches in understanding the public environment.” She wanted to use the dissertation to bring their social media monitoring to light and unpack everything from the epistemological underpinnings of the activity to how day-to-day practices shape a biased understanding of the public. Francoli noted that “among other things, [Dybka’s research] points to the need for more rigorous privacy consideration, strategic planning, and training.”
Dr. Dybka receiving her diploma onstage at her convocation ceremony on June 18, 2020.
Dybka’s dissertation reflects tendencies for government to rely on private sector solutions to advance priorities in the digital and data space. She clarified that “this reliance has in part been created by changing trends in governance dating back several decades. Government is now trying to take on more functions in-house, but without the tools and range of expertise needed for them to fully achieve their objectives. Supplementing those gaps with private sector solutions also allows the industry to shape perceptions around social media monitoring, its privacy implications, and its value.”
During her PhD studies and research, Dybka worked as a contract instructor in the Faculty of Public Affairs, both for Communication and Media Studies and for the Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management (PAPM). She was also the SJC’s 2022 Public Servant in Residence. In addition to her ongoing work associated with the Faculty of Public Affairs, she plans to continue collaborating with Government colleagues to improve awareness and practices of communications branches in using social media data.
Wednesday, July 10, 2024 in 2024, Communication News, COMS Alumni, General, News, Student Showcase
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