Michael’s research examines the political, social, and economic potential of information communication technologies (ICTs) and social media while also interrogating common claims and assumptions about these platforms. His project address topics such as mobile media and apps, the spread extremist ideology, and the networking of white extremism. He is also interested in disinformation and 'fake news', media and activist movements, digital labour, visual culture and media aesthetics, and the political economy of media. The international relevance of his research has led to conference presentations in North America, Europe, and Oceania, invited lectures to the New Zealand Institute for International Affairs, the National Library of New Zealand, and the Speaker’s Science Forum at the New Zealand Parliament. He has also made appearances on RNZ, TVNZ, and in Newsroom, The Spinoff, and the New Zealand Herald.
