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Hi there!
I'm a researcher studying digital cultures and social media, using qualitative and mixed methods approaches.
I'm currently a PhD candidate, at the Department of Communication, University of Hyderabad, studying creator culture in the Indian beauty industry.
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I regularly present my work at international conferences, and I've published my research through journals and book chapters.
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I'm also an experienced writer, having contributed 180+ articles to The New Indian Express, Femina, and Wow Hyderabad.
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You can find me on
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PhD, Communication (2020 - present)
University of Hyderabad
My thesis is titled The Beauty Web: Identity, Labor, and Influence in the Beauty Media Industry, and I'm working under the guidance of Prof. Usha Raman. I'm interested in how creators of various kinds--journalists, influencers, and brand communications personnel--produce what we think of as beauty content today, and how their experiences and labours play out against the backdrop of industry, platforms, and the broader regulatory environment. My PhD is UGC-NET funded, which I qualified for with a 99.81 percentile score (NET, December 2019).
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I have a Bachelor of Design in Fashion Communication (2014-18) from the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Hyderabad, and a Master of Arts in Communication (2018-20) from St. Francis College, Hyderabad. I graduated as an institution-level gold medalist.
✨ Fun fact! A student documentary I made about colourism in India was a surprise hit. It has over 2 million views on YouTube, and has won two awards. ​
Academic Publications
BOOK CHAPTER
Wellness Influencing in India:
Ayurveda and Identity on Social Media
by Anuja Premika, Sumana Kasthuri
In: The Routledge Handbook of Lifestyle Journalism
Publisher: Routledge
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BOOK CHAPTER
Creating and Curating the Performing Object: Self-Making on
#Bookstagram and #Inktober (2024)
by Usha Raman, Anuja Premika
In: Digital Expressions of the Self(ie) - The Social Life of Selfies in India
Publisher: Routledge India
JOURNAL ARTICLE
Colourism and Representation:
An Analysis of Beauty Brands on Instagram (2021)
by Anuja PremikaIn: Journal of Media and Communication
RESEARCH REPORT
Staging Aggressive Masculinity: Report of a Media Monitoring Project (2022)
by Usha Raman, Amritha Mohan, Anuja Premika
Publisher: Network of Women in Media, India;
and Goethe-Institut, New Delhi
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​CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Converging Labours: Creating the
New Beauty Media Ecology in Online Spaces
by Anuja Premika
In: AoIR Selected Papers in Internet Research
Publisher: Association of Internet Researchers
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CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS
Beauty Brands Online: Visuality, Labour, and Representation
by Anuja Premika
In: AoIR Selected Papers in Internet Research
Publisher: Association of Internet Researchers
Conferences and Engagement
I enjoy engaging with the global research community and frequently present my work at conferences. This has helped me learn how to communicate my research to diverse audiences, network with people across cultures and specialisations, and be proactive about keeping up with the current state of research globally.
July 2023 | IAMCR Lyon, France
International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)
I was awarded a travel grant by the conference organisers to present my work.
July 2024 | ICA Gold Coast, Australia
International Communication Association (ICA)
I attended the conference while working as part of a SPARC (Ministry of Education, GoI)-funded project in Australia.
July 2024 | IAMCR Christchurch, New Zealand
International Association of Media and Communication Research (IAMCR)
I received an Institute of Eminence (IoE) grant through the University of Hyderabad to present my work.
October 2024 | AoIR Sheffield, United Kingdom
Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)
I was awarded a travel grant by the conference organisers to present my work.
April 2024 | AoIR Flashpoint Symposium
Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)
As part of a team of five, we were awarded a grant worth USD 8000, and organised the AoIR Flashpoint Symposium in IIIT Hyderabad, marking the first AoIR event in India.
July-August 2024 | Canberra, Australia
I was a Visting Research Fellow at the Australian National University under a SPARC (Ministry of Education, GoI) grant worth USD 3500, co-funded by aUNESCO Chair in Science Communication for the Public Good grant worth USD 2000.
In the Media
I've written extensively across the areas of lifestyle, finance, careers, food, entertainment, fashion, and relationships. Click below to read my work.
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