Mathilde Gelmini studied political science at the Université Lumière Lyon 2, graduating with Masters degrees in ‘International politics and transition analysis’ and ‘Surveys and analysis of political processes’, before embarking on her doctoral studies at Sciences Po Toulouse. Her thesis, entitled ‘The circulation of fake news, a comparison between France and the United States’, is being conducted under the joint supervision of Éric Darras and Jérémie Nollet.

Joining the research team at Sciences Po Toulouse, renowned for its specialisation in the sociology of the media, was an obvious choice. The young woman from Lyon will be able to benefit from the research carried out by her co-directors on media reception and influence.
 

In her thesis, Mathilde Gelmini is seeking to understand how individuals appropriate information and the mechanisms behind disinformation and the circulation of fake news. Her work provides a framework for reading the different ways in which information is decoded.

To achieve this, the doctoral student relies on observations and numerous interviews with people from all social classes, thus obtaining the broadest possible overview.

In every situation, she makes a point of adopting a sociologist's neutral viewpoint and never influencing the people she is interviewing: "I think it's important to have a neutral viewpoint. I think it's important to always take my interviewees seriously and give them credit when they give me their time". For the young woman, the aim is never to pass judgement or enter into a political debate, but to hear their reasoning.

The great originality of this research lies in its theoretical approach. To measure misinformation and the circulation of false information, Mathilde Gelmini is interested in reception, i.e. individuals and their information practices, whereas the majority of existing studies approach fake news through its origin and construction.

Mathilde Gelmini uses ethnography as her research method, which involves a long period of immersion in the field, both in France and in the United States, a country she knows well from working there as an au pair.

This project was made possible by a research grant that enabled her to finance her travels across the Atlantic. As a result, the bilingual young woman was able to travel to the east coast of the United States, in Maryland, to conduct interviews. This grant should enable her to return in the coming months.
 

Alongside her research activities, Mathilde Gelmini also teaches Master's students: a class on the political sociology of journalism, lectures on methods in international relations, as well as a practical course in English on an introduction to political science.

After completing her thesis, which is provisionally due to be defended at the end of 2028, the doctoral student would like to become a lecturer.