VOX-Pol Newsletter 13(6)

Posted on June 9, 2026 (June 9, 2026)

Welcome to Volume 13, Issue 6 of the monthly VOX-Pol Newsletter

Catch Up on the 2026 VOX-Pol Lecture Series!

We are thrilled to share that the latest 2026 VOX-Pol Lecture Series is now fully recorded and available to view on the VOX-Pol YouTube channel.
This curated series brings together world-leading scholars, tech experts, and practitioners to dissect the most pressing challenges in the study of online extremism, terrorism, and digital content moderation. From artificial intelligence to the weaponization of online misogyny and the vital importance of researcher wellness, these sessions offer crucial insights for researchers, students, and policymakers alike.

The Lecture Line-up:


1. Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss breaks down her book, Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism, exploring the chilling ways online misogyny and perceived grievances intersect to fuel modern violent extremism. Watch here.
2. Dr. Erin Saltman, Senior Director of Membership and Programs at the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism (GIFCT), discusses AI threats and opportunities in the field of online extremism in this video.
3. Misogyny Roundtable: Mapping the Field How do digital cultures amplify hostile narratives? In this VOX-Pol roundtable, leading scholars Dr Elizabeth Pearson, Dr Eviane Leidig, Dr Ashley Mattheis, and Prof Lisa Sugiura explore the current state of misogyny research, address the field’s biggest structural hurdles, and share critical insights on future directions. Watch the full discussion here.
4. Early Career Researcher Roundtable: Studying online extremism can be a heavy, isolating experience compounded by secondary trauma and job market anxieties. This session highlights how ECRs build supportive communities, navigate ethics reviews, secure grants, and balance teaching. Watch here.
5. Leading experts Prof. Stuart Macdonald and Prof. Maura Conway examine VOX-Pol’s pivotal role in building the online violent extremism research community. The conversation dives into the shifting landscapes of online threats and the unique ethical, legal, and operational challenges researchers face today. Watch the full discussion here.

Coming Soon! The Routledge Handbook of Online Violent Extremism

Produced in partnership with VOX-Pol, the Routledge Handbook of Online Violent Extremism will be published in September 2026. The first reference work to offer a holistic overview of the problem of online violent extremism and possible solutions to this, each chapter in this unique work demonstrates, through its own lens and subject matter, how the myriads of digital platforms and their affordances, digital infrastructures, and the regulatory environment that sits behind them, continue to shape violent extremism.

The handbook will be a valuable resource for students of violent extremism, terrorism studies, criminology, security studies, and others, as well as policymakers, law enforcement and practitioners. More information, including on pre-order, is available here.

VOX-Pol Member Publications

There were two VOX-Pol contributor’s to Policy@Manchester’s May report on Digital Truths: Dr. Allysa Czerwinsky wrote a piece on responding to male supremacist ideologies through informal counterspeech and Dr. Ashley Mattheis contributed an item titled ‘Tackling Polluted Information: Media Literacy, Platform Governance and User Goals.’ 

JM Berger wrote a piece on his Medium blog, The Berger Dispatch, outlining why defining extremism matters and why many existing definitions fall short. 

On the VOX-Pol Blog

Recently published on the VOX-Pol Blog: 

Are you interested in publishing a VOX-Pol Blog post? Read our Blog submission instructions here. 

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And find us on LinkedIn @VOX-Pol.