Eunji Kim

@eunjikim.bsky.social

3.8K followers 990 following 86 posts

Media scholar | Assistant Professor of Political Science @Columbia | Author of The American Mirage (PUP 2025) | Host of Media Effects Empricial Workshop (MEEW)

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Political science 38%

Sociology 24%

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Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Apr 8

After years of doubt, drafts, and disbelief, my first—and likely last—book is finally out. It’s about how entertainment shapes American politics. If you preorder (a.co/d/ctGUWkZ), I’d love to send a small token of thanks: forms.gle/1YrkYX2t2nPC...

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Cambridge University Press Political Science & IR @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org · Oct 10

New to @apsa-preprints.bsky.social -

Unexpected Voices: How Cultural Agents Reshape Political Communication - https://cup.org/46YJjwt

- @eunjikim.bsky.social & Erin York

#preprint

Reposted by Robert C. Richards

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Sep 12

Grateful to Matt Baum, Jamie Druckman, @jonmladd.bsky.social @brendannyhan.bsky.social @dannagal.bsky.social for joining the Author Meets Critics session on The American Mirage tomorrow at 12:00. If you spot me at the conference, ask for my favorite book merch: a custom magnetic bottle opener!

Reposted by Simon Hix, Will Jennings, Sara B. Hobolt , and 31 more Simon Hix, Will Jennings, Sara B. Hobolt, Ruth Dassonneville, Stefan Müller, Stefanie Walter, Jürgen Maier, Kai Arzheimer, Nils B. Weidmann, Alexander Wuttke, Lucas Leemann, Justin H. Kirkland, Guy Grossman, Andreas Dür, Robert Huber, Simon Weschle, Anand Menon, Jane Green, Ingo Rohlfing, Mirya R. Holman, Robert Klemmensen, Tom van der Meer, Thomas M. Meyer, Alessandro Nai, Sven‐Oliver Proksch, Stuart White, Eunji Kim, Federica Genovese, Bjørn Høyland, Stuart J. Turnbull‐Dugarte, Tom Louwerse, M Josep, Tarik Abou‐Chadi, Enzo Nussio

EPSS @epssnet.bsky.social · Aug 7

EPSA have announced that they will hold a conference in July 2026.

😵‍💫 We understand that there might be some confusion about EPSS and EPSA.

👉🏽 So we thought we would clarify some things.

A short 🧵

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jul 20

😂

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jul 8

Oh wow! Thank you!! I tried to make it fun and accessible :) any reader from @piie.com who purchases a book can also get a small gift if interested: forms.gle/1YrkYX2t2nPC...

The American Mirage Thank You Gift

Thank you so much for pre-ordering my (first and probably last!) book—it really means a lot. As a small token of appreciation, I’d love to send you a little gift. If you’re open to it, just let me kno...

forms.gle

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jul 5

Thank you for this!!

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Cullen Hendrix @cullenhendrix.bsky.social · Jul 3

Cool book! Americans love reality competition TV. But does it shape political beliefs? @eunjikim.bsky.social says yes—and shows how it fuels faith in social mobility and individualism, despite declining economic opportunity. A subtle lesson in tournament wages: second place is first loser.

The American Mirage

How the entertainment narrative of upward mobility distorts the harsh economic realities in America

press.princeton.edu

Reposted by Eunji Kim

chris wiggins @chrishwiggins.bsky.social · Jun 29

Thanks, Don Green, for inviting me to share "Persuasion at Scale: ML, Causality & Information," a course retrospective @ Columbia's DSI.

@eunjikim.bsky.social & I covered the power & limits of causal inference & AI: from RCTs to LLMs

talk: bit.ly/PScaleTalk20...

class: lnkd.in/etbR2Dqc

Reposted by Eunji Kim

New Books Network @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social · Jun 26

Check out our newsletter! On Bullsh*t 20th anniversary | Misbehaving at the Crossroads with Honorée Fanonne Jeffers | Channel Spotlight: LGBTQ+ Studies | Scholarly Sources: Eunji Kim

@princetonupress.bsky.social
@eunjikim.bsky.social
@blklibrarygirl.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/newbooks...

The Truth About Bullsh*t

How On Bullsh*t became a philosophical sensation

open.substack.com

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · Jun 26

Check out this episode of the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social podcast and listen to @eunjikim.bsky.social discuss her new book The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy: newbooksnetwork.com/the-american....

Eunji Kim, "The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy" (Princeton UP, 2025) - New Books Network

Support H-Net | Buy Books Here | Join the NBN and NBN en Español on Patreon | Visit New Books Network en Español!

newbooksnetwork.com

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · Jun 26

Read this excerpt in @literaryhub.bsky.social of @eunjikim.bsky.social's new book The American Mirage, and learn how reality TV warps our perception of political and economic realities: lithub.com/how-reality-....

How Reality Television Warps Our Understanding of Political and Economic Realities

In the television industry, ratings are often the most valued currency. In political discourse, however, the sheer quantity of onlookers pales in significance. Instead, its composition holds sway. …

lithub.com

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jun 23

Thanks so much for having me! Cheers to the organizing team 🍷

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Étienne Ollion @eollion.bsky.social · Jun 23

SICSS-Paris is on!
Today, over 40 scholars from all over Europe (and beyond) gathered at @crestumr.bsky.social for 2 weeks of courses and talks about digital methods and text analysis.
And in the evening, @eunjikim.bsky.social gave the first talk on influencers and political change.

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jun 19

Thank you!!

Reposted by Patrick Präg, Eunji Kim, Samuel Coavoux

CREST Sociology @crestsociology.bsky.social · Jun 19

Next week, CREST is hosting another edition of the Summer School in Computational Social Science (SICSS).

Check out the speakers and participants here: sicss.io/2025/paris/p... and some here:

@bartbonikowski.bsky.social @eunjikim.bsky.social
@austin-van-loon.bsky.social @dirkhovy.bsky.social

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jun 8

thank you!

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jun 6

it was tempting to include that photo! 🤣

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · Jun 6

Thank you Debbie! Since so many scholars wrote important books, I thought I would be better off writing a fun book (!) and I tried my best! :)

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Debbie Schildkraut @debbiejsr.bsky.social · Jun 6

I just finished the first chapter of “The American Mirage” by @eunjikim.bsky.social and it is one of the most engaging works I’ve read in a long time. Eager to read the rest. Thank you, Eunji!
press.princeton.edu/books/hardco...

The American Mirage

How the entertainment narrative of upward mobility distorts the harsh economic realities in America

press.princeton.edu

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Justin Baragona @justinbaragona.bsky.social · May 22

Yes, that's right.

Today's reporter in the White House press briefing's "new media" seat is Jillian Michaels, the "Biggest Loser" trainer.

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · May 22

So honored (and amazed!) that Andrew Gelman—my senior colleague in political science and statistics—read The American Mirage cover to cover and wrote such a thoughtful review on his blog. Grateful for his generosity and sharp eye.
statmodeling.stat.columbia.edu/2025/05/22/e...

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · May 21

Didn't get tickets for @eunjikim.bsky.social's sold-out Lectures on Tap event, "The Entertained States of America,” tomorrow (5/22) at 6:30 pm EDT? Follow Lectures on Tap on Instagram & check out their story tomorrow morning for a chance to get last-minute tickets: www.instagram.com/lecturesonta...

The American Mirage: How Reality TV Upholds the Myth of Meritocracy by Eunji Kim

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · May 16

Getting photos like these over the past two weeks has been the most unexpectedly endearing part of publishing The American Mirage. Thank you for taking the time to snap a picture and share where the book landed in your lives. It’s heartening beyond words to feel the book out in the world 😍

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · May 16

Actually yes! I actually will be in NH next weekend! I will send a direct message :)

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · May 16

Never too late! Thank you :)

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · May 16

I guess that’s for the paperback version… 😳 (or should I enter this competition too?!)

Reposted by Peter J. Spiro, Colleen Fisher, Eunji Kim

The Daily Beast @thedailybeast.bsky.social · May 15

Kristi Noem has been working with the producer of “Duck Dynasty” to pitch a reality TV show—titled “The American”—where immigrants will compete in a string of challenges across the country “for the honor of fast-tracking their way to U.S. citizenship,” according to a new report.

Noem Plots Reality Show Where Migrants Fight for Citizenship

A Homeland Security official told the Daily Beast that the show is in the early stages of vetting, though approval has not been given—or denied.

www.thedailybeast.com

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · May 12

Thank you Dan! The book wouldn’t exist without my time spent at Penn and amazing dissertation committee!

Eunji Kim @eunjikim.bsky.social · May 12

You are the best! Thank you 🥹

Reposted by Eunji Kim

Dan Hopkins @dhopkins1776.bsky.social · May 11

Congratulations to @eunjikim.bsky.social on the publication of "The American Mirage"--really excited to have it and read it soon.

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