To Know Is to Compare: Rethinking Social Media across Nations, Media, and Platforms

Prof. Pablo Boczkowski and Dr. Mora Matassi discuss their book “To Know Is to Compare: Studying Social Media across Nations, Media, and Platforms” and illustrate how systematic comparative research can advance the understanding and impact of social media scholarship. This podcast episode delves into how comparative thinking can transform the study of social media by moving beyond single-country, single-medium, or single-platform analyses. It highlights the book To Know Is to Compare: Studying Social Media across Nations, Media, and Platforms, which proposes a three-dimensional framework: cross-national, cross-media, and cross-platform comparison. Through cases such as the Chilean feminist performance “Un Violador en tu Camino,” regional mobilizations after Marielle Franco’s assassination, and the global spread of Black Lives Matter, the discussion shows how similar causes follow different trajectories depending on histories, institutions, and cultures. The episode also stresses the importance of historical perspective, “dead platforms” like Photolog, and de-westernizing research, while expanding “language” to include emojis, hashtags, and multilingual practices, exemplified by artists like Bad Bunny. Listeners are encouraged to embrace complexity, resist universal claims, and treat comparison as a core research commitment. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com. Disclaimer: A. The background music used in this video is the property of its respective developer and is protected by Copyright. Although it is a free version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy and Deepak Bhatt do not hold the rights to this music. B. Prof. Pablo Boczkowski and Dr. Mora Matassi shared thought-provoking insights from their acclaimed book “To Know Is to Compare: Studying Social Media across Nations, Media, and Platforms” during their engaging conversation on the Business Talk podcast. The uploaded video contains copyrighted material; therefore, any modifications to graphics, music, or the presence of the author or host are strictly prohibited.