Antoine’s inaugural lecture on “Popular Platforms – Toward a Radical Democratic Theory of Social Media”

CGHR’s current Postdoctoral Scholar Antoine Sander held his inaugural lecture on the topic of “Popular Platforms – Toward a Radical Democratic Theory of Social Media” on Wednesday, 21st October 2026

In his talk, he took a fresh look at social media and drew normatively from the radical-democratic tradition and methodologically from critical theory to produce a critique of social media from the perspective of the demos. From limited participation and corporate control to elite manipulation and fleeting political movements, the talk explored the gap between the emancipatory promises of social media and its political realities.

In front of a very engaged audience, the lecture developed the idea of “popular platforms”: a vision of social media that puts the people—not markets, states, or elites—at the centre of democratic life, and asked if these contradictions could point the way forward.

After the talk, CGHR’s Co-Directors Sharath Srinivasan and Ella McPherson invited to CGHR’s annual Welcome Drinks.