As an expert on the impact of information flowing through social media networks, Associate Professor Karine Nahon is often asked to analyse and give her opinion on the impact of social media on politics.

“We live in a world where a tweet can be instantly retweeted and read by millions around the world in minutes, where a video forwarded to friends can destroy a political career in hours, and where an unknown man or woman can become an international celebrity overnight,” said Nahon. Going Viral, her 2013 book co-authored with Jeff Hemsley, explores the nature of virality and social networks.

Nahon, an Israeli who is currently in Israel until April, now has a weekly slot on The London and Kirshenbaum show, one of the most popular political shows on Israeli television. It won an Israeli Academy Award for best current affairs show in 2005. The show doesn’t usually offer regular spots to commentators, but with the election campaign in full swing following the dissolution of the Israeli parliament on December 8, Nahon’s expertise is invaluable. She will provide weekly commentary through the election on March 7, 2015. 

The source of her information comes from the posts of political figures in Israel. Nahon, a member of the Public Knowledge Workshop, takes advantage of an open-sourced application developed by the organizations’ volunteers that captures the tweets, Facebook posts, and other social media data that contributes to her analysis of the week’s news.