Dr. Lei Hao obtained his PhD in Media and Communications at Goldsmiths, University of London, UK.  His research is situated at the intersection of cultural studies, media and communications, platform studies, and Chinese media studies. He examines how digital media technologies, platform infrastructures, and algorithmic systems shape identity formation, cultural visibility, and the representation of difference in contemporary China.

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He is the author of Minzu as Technology: Ethnic Identity and Social Media in Post-2000s China. His research explores how platforms such as Douyin and iQiyi mediate cultural production, organise visibility, and influence the circulation of minority representation, streaming media, and visual culture.

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His current work focuses on two main areas: the platformisation of Tibetan New Wave cinema, particularly the role of streaming platforms in shaping the visibility and framing of ethnic minority film; and digital cultural memory, with a focus on how platform logics and attention economies reshape the representation of urban history and place identity, especially in relation to Dalian.

 

Dr Hao’s expertise lies in the critical study of digital media, platform power, and cultural representation. He works across cultural theory and media analysis to examine how platforms govern visibility, organise attention, and mediate the formation of identity. His research offers particular expertise in the areas of social media in China, streaming platforms, algorithmic culture, minority representation, and the digital mediation of cultural memory.