Brief Profile

Dr. Sruthi Rajan is currently working as an Assistant Professor at the School of Communication, Birla Global University, Bhubaneswar. Her research encompasses digital media cultural studies, critical algorithm studies, algorithmic culture, affect studies, feminist cultural studies, and posthumanism. Dr. Rajan’s scholarly pursuits include exploring critical issues in digital communication, such as digital hate, algorithmic personalization, and the intricate dynamics of gendered agencies and identities in the digital realm. With industry experience in marketing communication, public relations, advertising copywriting, and web writing, Dr. Rajan also contributes to digital native news portals, writing about films, feminist discourses, and current affairs.

• Academic Qualifications
  

  Doctor of Philosophy

  • PhD Mass Communication, Pondicherry University

  Masters

  • M.A. in Mass Communication, Pondicherry University

  Bachelors

  • BA Journalism, Psychology, English Major, St. Aloysius College, Mangalore

  Others

  • UGC NET – Mass Communication & Journalism
  • PGD in Rural Development, Pondicherry University
• Teaching and Research Interest
  

  Teaching Interests

  • Media and culture
  • Digital media
  • Photojournalism
  • Media Production
  • Film and Documentary studies
  • Writing for media

  Research Interest

  • Digital Media and cultural studies
  • Algorithmic culture
  • Feminist media studies
  • Affect studies
  • Digital materialism
  • Critical algorithm studies
• Work Experience
  
  • Assistant Professor, Kannur University, Kerala from 18.12.2015 to 02.06.2017
  • Web content writer, SRM University, Chennai from 25.05.2015 to 17.12.2015
  • Assistant Director, Malayalam film industry, January 2015 to May 2015
  • Marketing communications executive, Kemin Industries, Chennai, 12.05.2014 to 12.12.2014
  • Reporting intern, Times of India, Kochi, June 2013
• Publications
  
  • Titillation and Transgression: The (Un)Ethical Quagmire of Indian Digital News Media – Published in Journal of Communication Management – (ISSN: 2583-617X), June 2026 https://doi.org/10.58966/JCM2026525
  • Synthetic realities: Youth media literacy and trust in the age of digital deception – Published in Information Development by SAGE Publications, SCOPUS Q1 Journal, September 2025

  Surveillance Capitalism and User Experience: A study on User Perceptions of Curated Advertisements on Instagram – Published as book chapter in the book titled ‘Enhancing Research Writing with AI Innovations and Future Perspectives’ – ISBN No. 978-81- 981578-9-8

  • Fleabag as Feminist Killjoy: Subversion, Willfulness and the Politics of Resistance – Published in Government Arts and Science College Research Journal (ISSN: 2277-4246), January 2024
  • Pseudonymity and Feminism Practice in Facebook: A Critical Discourse Analysis – Published in Communication and Media Research Journal (peer-reviewed), Vol. 8 (2), pp. 65-76 (Print ISSN: 2395-1559)
• Articles Published in National Dailies
  
  • How Sreenivasan Turned the Middle-Class Malayali’s Insecurities into Immortal Characters, The Indian Express, December 2025
• Academic articles published on news portals
  
  • The Becoming actor: Mohanlal’s Deleuzian characters, TrueCopy Think, May 2024
  • The sons of the patriarch ‘Unnikkochettan’: Comparing the film contexts of ‘The great Indian kitchen’ and ‘Rat Trap’, wtplive, issue 38, January 2021
  • The feminist critique on ‘Rachiyamma’ becoming ‘white’ on the film adaptation, wtplive, issue 2, May 2020
• Papers Presented
  
  • Presented a paper titled ‘(En)trapped in translation: User perceptions and adaptation approaches to meaning displacement and transformations in personalised feed recommendations’ at the Two-Day National Conference on Reimagining Communication Management in a Data-driven, Platform economy, organized by Birla School of Communication, Birla Global University in association with Adfactors PR, March 2026
  • Presented a paper titled ‘Surveillance Capitalism and user experience: A study on user perceptions of curated advertisements on Instagram’ at the International Multidisciplinary conference on advancing smart research writing with AI for a transformative future, organized by Scientific Multidisciplinary Association of Research Task, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 2025
  • Presented a paper titled ‘Affective Assemblages: A post qualitative Enquiry in Mapping the interplay between affect and striated space in criminal behaviour’ at the international conference on Innovative Paradigm: A Multidisciplinary approach to contemporary crime issues and challenges, Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, 2025
  • Presented a paper titled ‘Unveiling algorithmic imaginary: Affective encounters and vulnerabilities of female users with personalized feed recommender algorithms’ at the international conference on Algorithmic Governance organised by Oslometropolitan University and Nordic centre, India, November 2023
  • Presented a paper titled ‘Wearable Technology and Self-surveillance: Emergent Practices of Technology Assisted Self-regulation’ at the international conference ON Media Technologies and Accessibility: Politics, Representation and Paradigms organised by Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication, Pondicherry University, January 2020
  • Presented a paper titled ‘Pseudonymity and Feminism Practice in Facebook: A Critical Discourse Analysis’ at the national conference on Feminist Research Approaches to Gender Studies organised by Department of Women Studies, Madras University, December 2019
• Invited Talks
  
  • Delivered a session on the topic ‘Qualitative Research in the Digital Age: Ethnography and Discourse Analysis’ at the Five-day Faculty Development Programme titled ‘Knowledge, Method and Practice: Social Science Faculty in a Changing Digital Landscape’ at Birla School of Communication, Birla Global University, July 2026
  • Delivered a keynote address on the topic ‘Democracy in the Age of Digital Media: Platforms, Misinformation, and Constitutional Challenges’ at the national seminar jointly organized by Institute of Parliamentary Affairs, Government of Kerala and Department of Political Science, Newman College, Thodupuzha, January 2026
  • Delivered a lecture on ‘Discourses of informed consent in contemporary India’, Research wing, DISHA Kerala, 2022
• Other Academic Achievements
  
  • Member, Peer-review committee, Peer Reviewed journal (Humanities, ISSN: 2277-4246) of Govt Arts and Science College, Calicut
  • Interview featured on The Week, September 8, 2024
• Faculty Development Programmes
  
  • Participated in a five-day FDP on Knowledge, Method and Practice: Social Science Faculty in a Changing Digital Landscape’ at Birla School of Communication, Birla Global University, July 2026
  • Participated in a two-day FDP on Outcome-Based Education (OBE) : Effective Implementation at Birla Global University, January 2026
  • Participated in a One-week FDP on Media Literacy: Empowering Educators and Society organized by the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, School of Media and Communication, Manipal University, Jaipur