Cardiff University

Research Assistant, School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies

Thesis Title: The Thinking Fan’s Rock Band: R.E.M. fandom and negotiations of normativity in Murmurs.com

About

I completed my PhD in November 2009. My thesis analysed how normative behaviour is negotiated within Murmurs, an online community for fans of rock band R.E.M.

My research areas are fan cultures and the internet. In particular, I'm currently exploring how fandom is being integrated with social media.   

I'm currently working on publications and have articles coming out soon on Lost fans, Lady Gaga fans and also an examination of the ethical concerns surrounding being a scholar fan. I've also just been appointed editorial assistant for the journal Social Semiotics.

My current works are:

Journal articles

Forthcoming: Bennett, L. (2013) ‘Listening Through Social Media: Online fan engagement with the live music experience’ in Social Semiotics, 23 (1), The Business of Live Music special issue, edited by Simon Frith and Martin Cloonan. 

Forthcoming: Bennett, L. (2012) ‘Fan Activism for Social Mobilization: A Critical Review of the Literature.’ Transformative Works and Cultures, special issue guest edited by Henry Jenkins and Sangita Shresthova. June 2012 (short article, editorial review).

Forthcoming: Bennett, L. (2012) ‘Discourses of Order and Rationality: Drooling R.E.M. fans as “Matter out of Place.”’ Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies.

Bennett, L. (2011) ‘Music Fandom Online: R.E.M. fans in pursuit of the ultimate first listen.’ New Media & Society. First published on December 12, 2011 as doi:10.1177/1461444811422895

Bennett, L. (2011) ‘Delegitimising Strategic Power: Normative identity and governance in online R.E.M. fandom.’ Transformative Works and Cultures, No. 7, September 2011. http://journal.transformativeworks.org/index.php/twc/article/view/281/226

Book Chapters

Forthcoming: Bennett, L. (2012) ‘“That’s Me in the Corner”: negotiating the ethical dilemmas and liminality of scholar-fandom’ in Larsen, K. and Walliss, J. (eds) Ethics of Fan Studies, Cambridge Scholars Press.

Forthcoming: Bennett, L. (2012) ‘Lost in Time? : online Lost fan engagement with temporal play’ in Ames, M. (ed.) Television and Temporality:  Exploring Narrative Time in 21st Century Programming, University of Mississippi Press. 

Conference Presentations

Bennett, L. (2011) Social Media and Moral Outrage: Citizens, Celebrities and the case of the England Riots. Presented at ECREA@LSE_2011 Media and Communications International Symposium "The Mediation of Scandal and Moral Outrage," London School of Economics, 16-17 December 2011.

Bennett, L. (2011) Listening Through Social Media: Online fan engagement with the live music experience. Presented at Transforming Audiences 3, University of Westminster, London, 1-2 September 2011.

Bennett, L. (2011) Transformations through Twitter: Television viewership and negotiations of power through media convergence. Presented at COST Action Transforming Audiences, Transforming Societies workshop, University of Westminster, London, 31 August  2011.

Bennett, L. (2011) Log on and Freak Out: Twitter and online fan engagement with the live music experience. Presented at The Business of Live Music conference. Edinburgh University, 31 March - 2 April 2011.

Bennett, L. (2010) The Thinking Fan’s Rock Band: Drooling R.E.M. fans as “matter out of place”. Presented at Experience, Engagement, Meaning. Biennial conference of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music-UK/Ireland. Cardiff University, 2 - 4 September 2010.

Bennett, L. (2010) Triskaidekaphobics: R.E.M. fans in pursuit of the Ultimate First Listen. Presented at the Popular Music Fandom Symposium, Chester University, 25 June 2010. http://pop-music-research.blogspot.com/2010/05/triskaidekaphobics-rem-fans-in-pursuit.html

Bennett, L. (2008) The Thinking Fan’s Rock Band: normative identity and governance of R.E.M. fans in Murmurs.com. Poster presentation at the MeCCSA Conference, Cardiff University, 9-11 January 2008.



I'm guest editing a special issue of Participations on Music and Audiences. You can find the call for papers here:
http://www.h-net.org/announce/show.cgi?ID=185160

I'd love to hear from anyone with the same research interests as me!