People

Dr. Sarah Anne Ganter is an Associate Professor of Communication and Cultural Policies at the SFU School of Communication. She is the Director of the Digital Content & Platform Governance Lab. She is an expert in the areas of media governance and media policy in the digital era, journalism and other content industries, comparative and cross-border research. Her expertise includes analyzing media and digital policy transformations from a theoretical perspective that focuses on the dynamics and interactions shaping institutional fields. Dr. Ganter’ s work is influenced by a cosmopolitan approach to academic work, integrating scholarly work from different cultural, linguistic and geographical academic settings. Sarah won the FCAT Researcher of the Year award in 2023 and serves on the Editorial Boards of The International Journal of Press/Politics, the Palgrave Global Media Policy and Business book series and the Global Media Journal/the German edition. She is the co-author of The Power of Platforms: Shaping Media and Society (Oxford University Press) and co-editor of Media Governance: A Cosmopolitan Critique (Palgrave/IAMCR series). Her research has appeared in leading journals including New Media & Society, Digital Journalism, The Information Society, The International Journal of Communication, Media, Culture & Society, and The European Journal of Communication.

Dr. Simran Agarwal is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the School of Communication, where she works on an SSHRC-funded research project examining the emerging platform–publisher regulations and their (un)intended consequences for journalism. Simran holds a PhD in Information & Communication Sciences from the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, France. Her research has focused on the dynamic relationship between the Indian state and platforms in governing journalism and freedom of speech in India. Simran also serves as an editorial member to international journals and several international research networks where her work contributes to broader debates on the platformisation of culture industries, media regulation and censorship, and infrastructural governance in Global Majority contexts. 

Vinisa Nurul Aisyah is a PhD student in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and a Transatlantic Partnership Research Fellow. Her research examines the role of independent media in democratization processes, with a particular focus on Indonesia.

A former journalist and lecturer in Communication Studies, Vinisa brings a practitioner's perspective to her scholarly work. Her research interrogates how independent media outlets navigate socio-political pressures, resource constraints, and ethical dilemmas, and what these tensions mean for press freedom and democratic life. She also examines media audiences to understand how news is received and interpreted within Indonesian society.

Thomas Wilson is a musician, educator, and Master's student in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University. He holds a BA in English from the University of the Fraser Valley. His thesis work explores the changing meaning and practices of independence among musicians in Vancouver, BC in the platform age. Beyond this, he is interested in alternative platforms and approaches to platform governance, digital cultures, and the cultural industries. He is also co-Editor in Chief of Stream: The Interdisciplinary Journal of Communication.

Rose Chioma Muonanu is a PhD student in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and a recipient of the Canada Impact+ Research Training Award (CIRTA). Her research explores the intersection of communication, technology, and society, with a particular focus on generative artificial intelligence, media governance, journalistic autonomy, and public trust. Her background spans academic research and teaching support, writing, and strategic proposal development within the technology sector. These experiences shaped her interest in how emerging communication technologies influence institutions, professional practice, and public life.