Lisel Hintz
@liselhintz.bsky.social
2.4K followers 430 following 420 posts
Assistant Prof. at Johns Hopkins SAIS. Studying identity, FP, authoritarianism, protest, pop culture, other media. Turkey focus.
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Reposted by Lisel Hintz
cristianfarias.com
This video of Chicagoans intervening to save a man from being abducted off the streets by ICE is making the rounds on Instagram.

Community action works.

Source: www.instagram.com/reel/DPZL2AL...
liselhintz.bsky.social
News feeds are horrible. So I want to share news of my MENA writing solidarity group.

Week 130 starts Monday. 151 people joined at least one session. Some joined 100+. Email me if interested.

I hope others will start their own groups. I made a blueprint to do so: www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Academic Solidarity in the Wake of Disaster: Blueprint for an Online Writing Support Group | PS: Political Science & Politics | Cambridge Core
Academic Solidarity in the Wake of Disaster: Blueprint for an Online Writing Support Group - Volume 57 Issue 3
www.cambridge.org
liselhintz.bsky.social
So much going on. But I want to keep the continuous resistance of Boğaziçi academics in our minds. For their sake, for all our sake.

Today marked the 1166th vigil. Demonstrators are protesting a government-imposed rector, curbs on academic freedom, and the targeting of students and faculty.
cncndn.bsky.social
2 Ekim 2025 Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Akademisyenleri Nöbeti no. 1166. Direnişin 5. yılı/1733. günü Boğaziçi Üniversitesi'nde #KabulEtmiyoruzVazgeçmiyoruz
October 2, 2025 Boğaziçi University Faculty Vigil #1166/5th year/1733rd day of the resistance. At Boğaziçi Univ. #WeDoNotAcceptWeDoNotGiveUp!
Reposted by Lisel Hintz
profsaunders.bsky.social
“Authoritarianism succeeds by making dissent costly. When the authoritarian gale sends citizens running for cover, civil society organizations must anchor democratic principles.”

A must-read from my colleague and amazing writer Turkuler Isiksel.

democracyproject.org/posts/civil-...
Civil Society Institutions Under Authoritarian Encroachment
A broad range of views on democracy to help break the stalemate caused by partisan conflict.
democracyproject.org
liselhintz.bsky.social
As usual, great analysis by @gonultol.bsky.social.

My standard response to those asking “Is Turkey pivoting to the West” has always been: No. It’s called hedging. Or strategic autonomy. Read TR media.

Erdoğan consistently positions Turkey as a mediator. It conveniently means you don’t take sides
gonultol.bsky.social
Today’s Trump–Erdoğan meeting underscored how dependent Turkey remains on the West for its defense needs, and on the East for its energy needs.

Despite claims at home and abroad that Ankara’s expanding indigenous defense sector makes it ‘strategically autonomous,’++
liselhintz.bsky.social
Trader Yusuf olur bence :)
liselhintz.bsky.social
Looks like Erdoğan will soon get the US state visit he didn't with Biden.

Given obstacles to F-35 talks, the symbolism of the visit looms large. In an optimistic move, though, Turkey lifted a few tariffs from Trump 1.0.

On those obstacles, my take w David Banks www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Symbolic Amplification and Suboptimal Weapons Procurement: Explaining Turkey’s S-400 Program
Turkey’s 2019 acquisition of Russian S-400 missile batteries is puzzling. Despite repeated threats of sanctions by the United States, North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally Turkey purchased a mult...
www.tandfonline.com
liselhintz.bsky.social
Trump's emotional targeting of comedy figures is so telling. Hypermasculine strongmen DESPISE being made fun of.

Again, look to Turkey. Experts literally testified on whether comparing Erdoğan to Gollum was an insult. A guy sharing a meme was jailed.

And then there's the satire magazine closures.
liselhintz.bsky.social
Ownership consolidation of news, digital, and entertainment platforms in the hands of the few is part of what we call media capture.

It's more insidious than outright seizure or censorship elements. It feeds on profit and quid pro quo cronyism.

5 companies own ~90% of Turkey's private media.
nytimes.com
In @nytopinion.nytimes.com

Larry Ellison, a major stakeholder in CBS and Paramount, now has CNN, HBO and a major share of TikTok in his sights, William Cohan writes. If all goes as expected, Ellison is poised “to become one of the most powerful media and entertainment moguls America has ever seen.”
Opinion | Larry Ellison Is Closing In on CNN, HBO and TikTok
Larry Ellison is now suddenly poised to become the most powerful media mogul America has ever seen.
nyti.ms
liselhintz.bsky.social
I've felt very much the same way since 2016. Solidarity.
liselhintz.bsky.social
In Turkey, this is called "havuz medyası" ("pool media"). It is achieved via:

1) Vertical dissemination of narratives from the government
2) Political economy ties that incentivize private channels' compliance PLUS
3) Intimidation that combine to produce (often anticipatory) compliance
liselhintz.bsky.social
And now ABC has pulled Jimmy Kimmel's show "indefinitely."

After major pressure from the FCC.

Tell me again why media crackdowns like the fines and TV broadcast bans imposed by Turkey's media watchdog, or the pay-to-play jailing of a powerful Turkish talent agent, "wouldn't happen in the US."
liselhintz.bsky.social
Lots of speculation on how/why Colbert’s show was cancelled.

I distinctly remember giving a presentation on media capture in early Fall 2024. Audiences were skeptical that my insights from Turkey - or those of my panelists from India and Venezuela - had anything to do with the US.

Ah well.
liselhintz.bsky.social
Thank you so much Gerasimos! Hopefully the related project on foreign threat production that you saw at ISA will be out soon too. I appreciate your interest!
Reposted by Lisel Hintz
draege.bsky.social
My article "Film-Making the Nation Great Again" with
@liselhintz.bsky.social is out now in @poppublicsphere.bsky.social!

doi.org/10.1017/S153...

We show how Turkey’s ruling party instrumentalizes history through emotionally evocative videos to legitimize the authoritarian incumbent

🧵
Author Screenshot (T.C. İletişim Başkanlığı 2020)
liselhintz.bsky.social
Thanks so much for your interest Dana! I’ll write a thread once I’m done running around at APSA.

I’m so glad @poppublicsphere.bsky.social let us include 12 screenshots. The images make exactly the point we’re arguing. Hope you enjoy it!
liselhintz.bsky.social
My article "Film-Making the Nation Great Again" with @draege.bsky.social is out in Perspectives!

Poli sci work on authoritarianism and populism largely overlooks audiovisual strategies.

Our multi-modal study uses a new dataset of 11,000+ regime YouTube videos in Turkey.

doi.org/10.1017/S153...
liselhintz.bsky.social
Thousands turned out in blazing heat to protest the militarization of DC and much more.

Multiple contingents uniting their grievances, lots of humor, atmosphere of care and solidarity. Reminded me of Gezi.
liselhintz.bsky.social
Fabulous piece, thanks for bringing visibility to this!
liselhintz.bsky.social
My colleague @separkinson.bsky.social does a fantastic job here with the political sides of soccer.

From Çarşı to Barca to Ukrainian ultras, soccer fandom serves as a pre-existing network for protest, with stadiums as the publicly visible arena.

DC women’s soccer makes total sense for Free DC.
separkinson.bsky.social
For Keya Chatterjee, the executive director of Free DC, seeking out Spirit fans to echo the group's anti-takeover message was a no-brainer. "We know from studying movements against dictators all over the world that a key element is often cultural interventions, right?"

YES!

(w/ commentary from me)
Washington Spirit games provide a field for Trump resistance
Women's soccer fans have taken to the stands with banners, flags, and pro-D.C. chants.
51st.news
Reposted by Lisel Hintz
jenhattam.bsky.social
Thank you Lisel! I'm still actively looking for new journalism assignments, writing or editing gigs, or other work using my communications skills, ideally to make positive social/cultural/environmental impact. Check out what I do and get in touch about projects that might be a match!
liselhintz.bsky.social
Jennifer Hattam is an outstanding journalist and writer. She's particularly good at keeping a finger on the cultural pulse of her environments. And communicating why cultural issues/events/voices matter to varied audiences.

10/10 would recruit/hire/work with/read!
jenhattam.bsky.social
📣 I'm actively looking for new journalism assignments, writing or editing gigs, or other work that uses my communications skills, ideally to make positive social, cultural, or environmental impact. Check out what I do and hit me up if you have projects that might be a match! www.jenniferhattam.com
liselhintz.bsky.social
I add that for these three vehicles to make what amounts to a U-turn, it took multiple police cars to stop traffic. And a uniformed National Guard member jumping out of an unmarked car to yell “get back in” at another member who got out, probably to direct traffic.

Spectacle chaos.
liselhintz.bsky.social
Just your average Saturday night in southeast DC
liselhintz.bsky.social
Just your average Saturday night in southeast DC
liselhintz.bsky.social
Of course Meta did.
reuters.com
Reuters @reuters.com · Aug 29
Exclusive: Meta has appropriated the names and likenesses of celebrities — including Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez — to create dozens of flirty social-media chatbots without their permission, Reuters has found reut.rs/3JWb00R
Exclusive: Meta created flirty chatbots of Taylor Swift, other celebrities without permission
Meta has appropriated the names and likenesses of celebrities – including Taylor Swift, Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway and Selena Gomez – to create dozens of flirty social-media chatbots without their permission, Reuters has found.
reut.rs