Decoding digital campaigns: an iSchool professor’s mission to unravel online political messaging

Data sheets stack like puzzle pieces, lines of code dance across the screen and the rhythmic clicks of a keyboard fill the cozy office. Behind the screen sits Jennifer Stromer-Galley — her laptop as an entry to the ever-evolving digital world of politics.

“My superpower is research. If I can help other people make sense of what’s happening, then I think that’s beneficial. It gives us a shared terminology and way of looking at the world so that we can tackle it,” Stromer-Galley said.

At Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, Stromer-Galley has spent years decoding the digital landscape of political campaigns. Her revolutionary Illuminating Project and insightful book, Presidential Campaigning in the Internet Age, examine platform-based transparency, offering insights into the political content flooding social media. As the influence of social platforms grows amidst fewer regulations, their role in shaping political discourse increases, often amplifying polarization and misinformation.

Yet, as Stromer-Galley continues her research, funding remains a concern, particularly as political pressures threaten transparency and misinformation studies. Despite these challenges, her work remains crucial in helping voters navigate online political content and misinformation, reinforcing her role as a leading expert.

In 1995, when the World Wide Web was just becoming relevant, Stromer-Galley pursued a master’s in communication studies at the University of Minnesota. During her education, she became fascinated by the magic of hypertext markup language and its ability to connect content in a revolutionary way. 

It wasn’t until the 1996 election, however, that she discovered her main focus. The race between incumbent Bill Clinton and Bob Dole was the first ever to incorporate online campaigning mechanisms. 

“Dole was only in his mid-70s; he had this remarkable website and I was fascinated by it, whereas Bill Clinton, who was president, was hip and young and had this horrible website,” Stromer-Galley said. “I ended up doing my master’s thesis on their campaign websites and how they used them as a part of their strategic messaging to the public.”

She went on to earn a PhD at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania before starting her professional career at SUNY Albany, focusing on political communication.

“I was told I shouldn’t write a book; that the pathway to tenure, the focus needed to be on journal articles,” Stromer-Galley said. “But as I was in my last year before tenure, I pitched the idea of this book to Oxford University Press and the editor was super excited by the idea. So, I wrote the book, and it came out in 2014.” 

Now working on a third edition of Presidential Campaigning in the Internet Age, Stromer-Galley recalls the early mornings spent writing — up at 5 a.m., squeezing in work while her newborn daughters slept. The first edition covers elections from 1996 to 2012, while the second added the 2016 election. The latter, she admits, was especially difficult to write. 

“I struggled with Trump’s candidacy and his presidency. It was so anti-normative, so problematic. At one point, the chapter was 75 pages when a good book chapter is like 25,” Stromer-Galley said.

In between writing projects, Stromer-Galley and associate professor at the iSchool Jeff Hemsley paired up in 2014 to start the Illuminating Project, analyzing Twitter and Facebook’s API — essentially a doorway into data, allowing them to request and exchange data between applications — to decode campaign messaging more comprehensively. She’s worked with professors and students to collect data and research questions about campaigning ever since, publishing more than 10 articles outside of the project as well. 

One of her research projects examines how misinformation spreads through Facebook advertisements during the 2024 election. Sophomore applied data analytics student Avery Allen was one of two students who assisted Stromer-Galley with this project. 

“Before working with her and looking at all her accomplishments, I was intimidated. Her work is absolutely amazing and so interesting, and it’s because she is so passionate about it,” Allen said. “Her research truly reflects her interests and her passion for it has caused me to be so invested in it, too.”

Over the past year, Stromer-Galley shifted focus to online misinformation. This topic has raised concerns for her, especially as the Trump administration cuts federal funding for college research. According to AP News, these cuts have already affected universities like Columbia, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania, and she worries her research may also be at risk. 

“The fact that it was my misinformation project, my media quotes and things I mentioned on NPR about Trump and his image-making — I think there’s a real chance that I’m no longer fundable,” Stromer-Galley said.

Despite these concerns, Stromer-Galley isn’t slowing down. With the midterm elections at the forefront of her mind, she is already exploring new research ideas, determined to keep shining a light on digital campaign strategies. 

“I’m currently racking my brain to figure out where I get funds to research for the midterms. I am very concerned about the 2026 election,” Stromer-Galley said. “I want to do a data donation study where I recruit participants who are willing to share their mobile or their web browsing behavior with us so we can see what ads they’re getting exposed to.”

As misinformation tactics evolve and digital campaigns grow more sophisticated, Stromer-Galley remains committed to uncovering how political messaging shapes campaigns and voters over time. Decoding the digital landscape isn’t just research — it’s a mission for her.

“I want to monitor it. I want to surface it. I want the world to know about it,” Stromer-Galley said.