Congratulations to Manéh Rostomyan on successfully defending her MA thesis

Congratulations to Manéh Rostomyan on the successful defence of her master’s thesis, “War Feeds: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Information Warfare on Telegram and TikTok in the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War.”

Abstract

Technological advances and the explosion of digital information have fundamentally reshaped the conduct of Information Warfare (IW) and contemporary conflict, creating new threats to national security, democratic processes, and social stability. Existing scholarship demonstrates that skillfully weaponized information can rival conventional military capabilities in shaping conflict outcomes. Yet, rapid developments in information and communication technologies mean that IW remains only partially understood, particularly as it operates through social media and instant messaging (SM/IM) platforms. This study advances understanding of IW via SM/IM in the context of the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, it examines approximately 13,000 posts from two conflict-aligned Telegram channels and three Nagorno-Karabakh-focused TikTok hashtags across two critical escalation points: the Lachin/Berdzor Corridor blockade and the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic dissolution. The analysis identifies four overarching themes and demonstrates how SM/IM platforms function as active meaning-making sites, where narratives are continually assembled and recalibrated to support shifting objectives.

We wish Manéh every success as she takes the next steps in her academic and professional career.