CEPEL

Romain FARGIER

Overview

With a multidisciplinary academic background and a wealth of diverse experience in the fields of banking, consulting, management, communications, higher education, and digital technology, I am currently a lecturer and research associate at CEPEL. My work focuses on changes in electoral behavior and the diversification of mechanisms for participation and deliberation. I also explore new processes of politicization and alternative forms of expression that often break away from the traditional deliberative model. In this vein, I study political communication and the influence of digital platforms on electoral dynamics and online activism. I am particularly interested in the professionalization of political content creators, as well as alternative media strategies developed through social media and opinion-based formats.

Training

  • PhD Political Science, University of Montpellier, CEPEL
  • Master's Degree (Year 2) in Comparative Public Policy, University of Montpellier
  • Master 2 in Political Studies (Research Track), Information Management, Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence
  • Master's Degree (Year 2) in Information and Communication Technology, University of Montpellier
  • Master 2 in the “Grande École” Program, Montpellier Business School
  • Master 1 in Management Science, Montpellier Business School
  • Bachelor's Degree in International Business & Relations, La Trobe University, Melbourne

Selected Presentations, Lectures, and Publications

  • “The Influence of the Far Right on Contemporary Political Debates,” JE, University of Lyon Lumière, April 2025
  • “Far-Right YouTubers: The New Political Professionals,” ICCA Campus Condorcet, 20 Years of Video Production, October 17, 2024.
  • “Costs and Compensation for Political YouTubers,” AFSP Conference, Grenoble, July 5, 2024.
  • (In progress) “Alternative Mediatization of Politics: Self-Media, Web TV, and Opinion Channels,” book chapter, *Cahiers Protagoras*, published by L’Harmattan.
  • “The Politicization of Young People on Social Media Platforms,” 8th Conference on Open Government and Digital Technology, University of Paris 1, November 2023.
  • “YouTubers: The New Activists?”, Annual Seminar for Doctoral Students and Early-Career Researchers, University of Montpellier, July 2023.
  • “Social Media and Politics,” UTT, Paul-Valéry University, November 2023.
  • “YouTube: A Political Space?”, UTT, Paul-Valéry University, March 2021.
  • “YouTube as a Political Sphere,” 7th International Conference on the Social Sciences, University of Ifrane (Morocco), May 2021.

Selection of Articles and Media Appearances

  • Robby Starbuck: The American Activist Who Wants to Take Down "Woke" Companies, Le Soir, September 5, 2024
  • Jordan Bardella on TikTok: “Beneath this amateurish format, there are well-thought-out elements that have been carefully crafted,” Gurvan Kristanadjaja, Libération, June 21, 2024.
  • “Why Internet Celebrities Try to Avoid Talking About Politics,” by Sylvain Trinel and Salomé Ferraris, BFMTV, June 21, 2024.
  • Romain Fargier, researcher at CEPEL in Montpellier; Guillaume Roulland, France Bleu Hérault, June 19, 2024.
  • 2024 Legislative Elections: How Can TikTok Influence the Elections? Agence France-Presse, RTL, June 15, 2024.
  • TikTok, a political communication tool that has had an impact on elections, Agence France-Presse, 20 Minutes, June 13, 2024.
  • "Le Pen's Strategy for Normalization in France," Niklas Mönch, Deutschlandradio, June 4, 2024.
  • He's not just a rising political star. He's a celebrity, and he knows how to captivate his audience, Julie Schneider, Berlingske, March 21, 2024.
  • The far right is the clear winner: If it were up to TikTok and Facebook, they would win the election tomorrow, Julie Schneider, Berlingske, March 20, 2024.
  • "Europe’s Far Right Uses TikTok to Win the Youth Vote," by Clothilde Goujard, Elisa Braun, and Mark Scott, Politico, March 17, 2024.
  • Far-Right Political Influencers Are Stepping Out of the Shadows, France Culture, June 26, 2021.
  • "How France’s New Wave of Far-Right Influencers Led to Macron’s Humiliating Slap," The Telegraph, June 13, 2021.
  • Guest on the 6:20 a.m. show: Romain Fargier, France Inter Radio, June 8, 2021.

Skills

  • Research methodology: qualitative/quantitative analysis, semi-structured interviews, discourse analysis.
  • Multidisciplinary experience: economics, management, entrepreneurship, marketing, digital media, political science
  • Digital tools: SPSS, NVivo, Zotero.
  • Scientific communication: writing academic articles, popular science writing, and media appearances.

Languages

  • French (native language)
  • English (C2)
  • Spanish (B2)