About
Keighley is a Researcher within the School of Culture and Communication at Swansea University, where she works as part of the DRAGON programme.
Keighley’s research interests include the radical right, extremist discourse, political identity, digital influence and manipulation, and online harms. Her work examines how language, imagery and digital interaction shape identities, influence audiences, and make exclusionary or extremist ideas appear more ordinary, reasonable or legitimate. Drawing on discourse analysis and multimodal approaches, she explores the relationship between language, power and identity in digital contexts, with a particular focus on how online communities communicate, persuade, affiliate and mobilise.
Within DRAGON, Keighley conducts linguistic analysis of online grooming, manipulation and digital discourse. She is particularly interested in how linguistic choices build trust and exert influence in online interactions. Alongside her analytical work, she contributes to the co-creation and evaluation of research-informed resources, working with practitioners, stakeholders and lived-experience groups to ensure that DRAGON's outputs are accessible, useful and grounded in real-world professional contexts.
Keighley also leads on communications and engagement across the programme, combining her expertise in digital media with her commitment to research impact. This includes translating complex academic research into clear, engaging and accessible public-facing content for professional, policy and wider audiences. She is especially interested in how academic work can inform practice and contribute to public understanding of online harms.
Keighley is committed to co-creation, collaborative research and real-world impact. She works with stakeholders, practitioners and interest groups to ensure that research-informed resources are accessible, useful and responsive to professional and public needs. Her work is driven by a commitment to translating academic research beyond the university, including through policy engagement, public communication, professional training and media collaboration.