![Bethan Jones](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/6656?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Bethan Jones
(she/her)
Teams and roles for Bethan Jones
Post-doctoral Research Associate
Overview
I was awarded my PhD by Published Works from Cardiff University in 2021. Titled Fandom Is Beautiful (Except When it Isn’t): Hate, Dislike and Toxicity Online the PhD collected a range of articles and chapters I had published on anti-fandom and toxic fandom in the previous decade and explores television, music and fan conventions.
I subsequently began worked for the University of York as a Postdoctoral Research Associate on the Screen Industries Growth Network, undertaking research into skills and training in the UK screen industries as well as screen tourim. My first book: The Truth Is Still Out There: Thirty Years of The X-Files was published in 2023 and I have co-edited two collections on crowdfunding and the culture wars. I am currently a Research Associate on the Synthetic Pasts project as well as an honorary research fellow at Amgueddfa Cymru.
My research interests include (anti)fandom, participatory culture, screen tourism and true crime fandom. I am board member on the Fan Studies Network, former Co-Editor of Popular Communication and on the editorial boards of Journal of Fan Studies and Transformative Works and Cultures. I am also on the advisory board for the TV Matter book series at Intellect and the Pop Culture in Context series at DeGruyter.
Publication
2026
- Jones, B. 2026. School shooter fanfiction as true crime content: making the case for fan creations as legitimate modes of production, consumption and understanding. In: Hobbs, S. and Hoffman, M. eds. #TrueCrime: Digital Culture, Ethics and True Crime Audiences. Palgrave Fan Studies Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.93-116. (10.1007/978-3-031-99390-9_6)
2025
- Brereton, J. et al., 2025. Play your way into production: game-based skills development for the film and TV industry. Popular Communication (10.1080/15405702.2025.2486773)
- Driessen, S. and Jones, B. 2025. Fandom’s dark side: Uncovering the intricacies of conspiratorial play as digital practice. In: Le Clue, N. ed. Beyond Fandom: The Dark Side of Social Media Discourse. London: Emerald Publishing Limited. , pp.95-109. (10.1108/978-1-83608-482-220251007)
- Jones, B. 2025. Creating and expanding the worlds of the Walking Dead. In: Bacon, S. ed. The Palgrave Handbook of the Zombie. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.1113-1128. (10.1007/978-3-032-05696-2_70)
- Jones, B. and El Madawi, S. 2025. Playing their own private detectives: digital witnessing, forensic fandom and true crime narratives. In: Gies, L. ed. Trial by Media: Participatory Justice in a Networked World. Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture (PSCMC) Springer Nature. , pp.163-187. (10.1007/978-3-031-80593-6_7)
- Jones, B. et al. 2025. Unreal spaces, real peripheries: Exploring the materialities of virtual production. In: Mitchell, S. et al., The Screens of Virtual Production: What is Real?. London: Routledge. , pp.62-75. (10.4324/9781003463139-6)
- Willment, N. et al., 2025. The importance of professional skills within the changing media landscape of the UK screen industries: a case study of the ‘disruptive’ phenomenon of virtual production. Media Practice and Education 26 (1), pp.1-19. (10.1080/25741136.2024.2336759)
2024
- Brereton, J. et al., 2024. Play your way into production: game-based skills development for the screen industries. Presented at: 18th European Conference on Games Based Learning Aarhus University 3-4 October 2024. Published in: Kilså, K. and Basaiawmoit, R. V. eds. Proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Games Based Learning. Vol. 18.Vol. 1. Academic Conferences International Ltd. , pp.124-132. (10.34190/ecgbl.18.1.2765)
- Driessen, S. , Jones, B. and Litherland, B. 2024. From fan citizenship to ‘fanspiracies’: politics and participatory cultures in times of crisis?. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 30 (1), pp.304-312. (10.1177/13548565241236005)
2022
- Geraghty, L. et al., 2022. Roundtable: the past, present and future of fan fiction. Humanities 11 (5) 120. (10.3390/h11050120)
- Jones, B. 2022. Reopening The X-Files: generational fandom, gender, and bodily autonomy. In: Kies, B. and Connor, M. eds. Fandom, the Next Generation. Fandom & Culture University of Iowa Press. , pp.20-32. (10.2307/j.ctv2k4fwq8.5)
- Jones, B. 2022. Toxic fandom: Star Wars (episodes VII-IX). In: Bacon, S. ed. Toxic Cultures: A Companion. Vol. 8, Genre Fiction and Film Companions Peter Lang Group AG. , pp.171-182. (10.3726/b17458)
2019
- Jones, B. 2019. "If even one person gets hurt because of those books, that’s too many.” Fifty Shades anti-fandom, lived experience and the role of the subcultural gatekeeper. In: Click, M. A. ed. Anti-Fandom: Dislike and Hate in the Digital Age. Vol. 24, Postmillennial Pop New York: New York University Press. , pp.271-290. (10.18574/nyu/9781479866625.003.0016)
- Jones, B. Proctor, W. et al., 2019. Jafar Wars: fan-created paratexts in Alderaan places. [Disney's Star Wars: Forces of Production, Promotion, and Reception]. Fandom & Culture University of Iowa Press. (10.2307/j.ctvmx3ht7.18)
2018
- Jones, B. 2018. #AskELJames, Ghostbusters, and #Gamergate: digital dislike and damage control. In: Booth, P. ed. A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. , pp.415-429. (10.1002/9781119237211.ch26)
- Jones, B. 2018. "My music was on shuffle, one of their songs came on, and I had to hit next ...": Navigating grief and disgust in Lostprophets fandom. In: Williams, R. ed. Everybody Hurts: Transitions, Endings, and Resurrections in Fan Cultures. Fandom & Culture University of Iowa Press. , pp.43-58. (10.2307/j.ctt22h6qtt.7)
- Jones, B. 2018. “Stop moaning. I gave you my email. Give me a solution”: Walker Stalker Con, fantagonism and fanagement on social media. Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies 15 (1), pp.252-271.
2017
- Chin, B. and Jones, B. 2017. Crowdfunding independence: British cinema and digital production/distribution platforms. In: Hunter, I. , Porter, L. and Smith, J. eds. The Routledge Companion to British Cinema History. London: Routledge. , pp.418-428. (10.4324/9781315392189)
- Jones, B. 2017. "Are you ready for this?" "I don't know if there's a choice": Cult reboots, The X-Files revival, and fannish expectations. In: Click, M. A. and Scott, S. eds. The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom. New York: Routledge. , pp.347-355. (10.4324/9781315637518)
- Jones, B. 2017. "Post-object fandom: television, identity and self-narrative," by Rebecca Williams [Book Review]. Transformative Works and Cultures 25 (10.3983/twc.2017.01111)
- Jones, B. 2017. Producing and branding gender in comics: My So-Called Secret Identity and the ambivalence of an alternative address. Palabra Clave 20 (4), pp.1073-1104. (10.5294/pacla.2017.20.4.9)
- Jones, B. 2017. ‘When there’s blood involved, a line been crossed’: Spike/Eric slash and the fascinations of the crossover text. Horror Studies 8 (2), pp.275-291. (10.1386/host.8.2.275_1)
- Jones, B. and Popova, M. 2017. Sex and sexualities in popular culture: a networking knowledge special issue. Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network 10 (3), pp.1-5. (10.31165/nk.2017.103.513)
2016
- Bennett, L. , Chin, B. and Jones, B. 2016. Between privacy, ethics, fandom and social media: new trajectories that challenge media producer/fan relations. In: Davisson, A. and Booth, P. eds. Controversies in Digital Ethics. Llandysul: Bloomsbury. , pp.107-122.
- Driessen, S. and Jones, B. 2016. Love me for a reason: an autoethnographic account of Boyzone fandom. International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) 6 (1), pp.68-84. (10.5429/2079-3871(2016)v6i1.5en)
- Jones, B. 2016. "I hate Beyoncé and I don’t care who knows it": towards an ethics of studying anti-fandom. The Journal of Fandom Studies 4 (3), pp.283-299. (10.1386/jfs.4.3.283_1)
- Jones, B. 2016. "I will throw you off your ship and you will drown and die”: death threats, intra-fandom hate, and the performance of fangirling. In: Bennett, L. and Booth, P. eds. Seeing Fans: Representations of Fandom in Media and Popular Culture. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. , pp.53-66. (10.5040/9781501318481.ch-005)
- Jones, B. 2016. 'My inner goddess is smouldering and not in a good way’: an anti-fannish account of consuming Fifty Shades“. [Online].Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media: Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media. Available at: https://intensitiescultmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/2-jones-inner-goddess.pdf.
- Jones, B. 2016. Science fiction, fantasy and politics: transmedia world-building beyond capitalism by Dan Hassler-Forrest. Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies 13 (1), pp.701-704.
2015
- Hester, H. , Jones, B. and Taylor-Harman, S. 2015. Giffing a fuck: non-narrative pleasures in participatory porn cultures and female fandom. Porn Studies 2 (4), pp.356-366. (10.1080/23268743.2015.1083883)
- Jones, B. 2015. Aca-fan research on fannish sites: ethical and moral challenges to using social media. [Online].Bethan V Jones: Fan Studies, Cult Television, Nostalgia: Bethan V Jones: Fan Studies, Cult Television, Nostalgia. Available at: https://bethanvjones.wordpress.com/2015/04/03/aca-fan-research-on-fannish-sites-ethical-and-moral-challenges-to-using-social-media/.
- Jones, B. 2015. Antifan activism as a response to MTV's The Valleys. Transformative Works and Cultures 19 (10.3983/twc.2015.0585)
- Jones, B. 2015. Book review: celebrity capital: assessing the value of fame by Barrie Gunter. [Online].LSE Review of Books: LSE Review of Books. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/73752/.
- Jones, B. 2015. Fannish tattooing and sacred identity. Transformative Works and Cultures 18 (10.3983/twc.2015.0626)
- Jones, B. 2015. My Little Pony, tolerance is magic: gender policing and Brony anti-fandom. The Journal of Popular Television 3 (1), pp.119-125. (10.1386/jptv.3.1.119_1)
2014
- Chin, B. et al. 2014. Veronica Mars kickstarter and crowd funding. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0519)
- Jones, B. 2014. Book review: the Ashgate research companion to fan cultures edited by Linda Duits, Koos Zwaan and Stijn Reijnders. [Online].LSE Review of Books: LSE Review of Books. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/73979/.
- Jones, B. 2014. Cult collections: nostalgia, fandom and collecting popular culture by Lincoln Geraghty. Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies 11 (2), pp.327-330.
- Jones, B. 2014. Fifty shades of exploitation: fan labor and Fifty Shades of Grey. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0501)
- Jones, B. 2014. Normal human interest in werewolves and vampires bonking. In: Clayton, W. and Harman, S. eds. Screening Twilight: Critical Approaches to a Cinematic Phenomenon. I.B. Tauris Film Studies Archive 1998-2015, Title By Title London: I.B.Tauris & Co. Ltd. , pp.187–204. (10.5040/9780755694679.ch-015)
- Jones, B. 2014. Unusual geography: Discworld board games and paratextual L-space. [Online].Vol. 7Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media: Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media. Available at: https://intensitiescultmedia.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/6-jones-unusual-geography-pp-55-73.pdf.
- Jones, B. 2014. Written on the body: experiencing affect and identity in my fannish tattoos. Transformative Works and Cultures 16 (10.3983/twc.2014.0527)
- Jones, B. and Clayton, W. 2014. Special Issue: the transmedia relationship between film/TV texts and board games.. [Online].Vol. 7Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media: Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media. Available at: https://intensitiescultmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1-jones-and-clayton-editors-introduction-pp-1-41.pdf.
2013
- Bury, R. et al., 2013. From Usenet to Tumblr: the changing role of social media. Participations 10 (1), pp.299-318.
- Deller, R. A. , Harman, S. and Jones, B. 2013. Introduction to the special issue: reading the Fifty Shades 'phenomenon'. Sexualities 16 (8), pp.859-863. (10.1177/1363460713508899)
- Harman, S. and Jones, B. 2013. Fifty shades of ghey: snark fandom and the figure of the anti-fan. Sexualities 16 (8), pp.951-968. (10.1177/1363460713508887)
- Jones, B. 2013. Slow evolution: 'first time fics' and The X-Files porn parody. Journal of Adaptation in Film and Performance 6 (3), pp.369-385. (10.1386/jafp.6.3.369_1)
- Jones, B. 2013. The fandom is out there: social media and The X-Files online. In: Barton, K. M. and Lampley, J. M. eds. Fan CULTure: Essays on Participatory Fandom in the 21st Century. [Fan CULTure: Essays on Participatory Fandom in the 21st Century]. McFarland & Co. , pp.92-105.
- Jones, B. 2013. The g-woman and the fowl one: fic and femslash in The X-Files fandom. In: Jamison, A. ed. Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World. Smart Pop. , pp.122-129.
2012
- Jones, B. 2012. Being of service: "X-Files" fans and social engagement. Transformative Works and Cultures 10 (10.3983/twc.2012.0309)
- Jones, B. 2012. Buffy vs. Bella: gender, relationships and the modern vampire. In: Mutch, D. ed. The Modern Vampire and Human Identity. London: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.37–54. (10.1057/9780230370142_3)
Articles
- Brereton, J. et al., 2025. Play your way into production: game-based skills development for the film and TV industry. Popular Communication (10.1080/15405702.2025.2486773)
- Bury, R. et al., 2013. From Usenet to Tumblr: the changing role of social media. Participations 10 (1), pp.299-318.
- Chin, B. et al. 2014. Veronica Mars kickstarter and crowd funding. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0519)
- Deller, R. A. , Harman, S. and Jones, B. 2013. Introduction to the special issue: reading the Fifty Shades 'phenomenon'. Sexualities 16 (8), pp.859-863. (10.1177/1363460713508899)
- Driessen, S. and Jones, B. 2016. Love me for a reason: an autoethnographic account of Boyzone fandom. International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) 6 (1), pp.68-84. (10.5429/2079-3871(2016)v6i1.5en)
- Driessen, S. , Jones, B. and Litherland, B. 2024. From fan citizenship to ‘fanspiracies’: politics and participatory cultures in times of crisis?. Convergence: The International Journal of Research into New Media Technologies 30 (1), pp.304-312. (10.1177/13548565241236005)
- Geraghty, L. et al., 2022. Roundtable: the past, present and future of fan fiction. Humanities 11 (5) 120. (10.3390/h11050120)
- Harman, S. and Jones, B. 2013. Fifty shades of ghey: snark fandom and the figure of the anti-fan. Sexualities 16 (8), pp.951-968. (10.1177/1363460713508887)
- Hester, H. , Jones, B. and Taylor-Harman, S. 2015. Giffing a fuck: non-narrative pleasures in participatory porn cultures and female fandom. Porn Studies 2 (4), pp.356-366. (10.1080/23268743.2015.1083883)
- Jones, B. 2015. Antifan activism as a response to MTV's The Valleys. Transformative Works and Cultures 19 (10.3983/twc.2015.0585)
- Jones, B. 2012. Being of service: "X-Files" fans and social engagement. Transformative Works and Cultures 10 (10.3983/twc.2012.0309)
- Jones, B. 2014. Cult collections: nostalgia, fandom and collecting popular culture by Lincoln Geraghty. Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies 11 (2), pp.327-330.
- Jones, B. 2015. Fannish tattooing and sacred identity. Transformative Works and Cultures 18 (10.3983/twc.2015.0626)
- Jones, B. 2014. Fifty shades of exploitation: fan labor and Fifty Shades of Grey. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0501)
- Jones, B. 2016. "I hate Beyoncé and I don’t care who knows it": towards an ethics of studying anti-fandom. The Journal of Fandom Studies 4 (3), pp.283-299. (10.1386/jfs.4.3.283_1)
- Jones, B. 2015. My Little Pony, tolerance is magic: gender policing and Brony anti-fandom. The Journal of Popular Television 3 (1), pp.119-125. (10.1386/jptv.3.1.119_1)
- Jones, B. 2017. "Post-object fandom: television, identity and self-narrative," by Rebecca Williams [Book Review]. Transformative Works and Cultures 25 (10.3983/twc.2017.01111)
- Jones, B. 2017. Producing and branding gender in comics: My So-Called Secret Identity and the ambivalence of an alternative address. Palabra Clave 20 (4), pp.1073-1104. (10.5294/pacla.2017.20.4.9)
- Jones, B. 2016. Science fiction, fantasy and politics: transmedia world-building beyond capitalism by Dan Hassler-Forrest. Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies 13 (1), pp.701-704.
- Jones, B. 2013. Slow evolution: 'first time fics' and The X-Files porn parody. Journal of Adaptation in Film and Performance 6 (3), pp.369-385. (10.1386/jafp.6.3.369_1)
- Jones, B. 2018. “Stop moaning. I gave you my email. Give me a solution”: Walker Stalker Con, fantagonism and fanagement on social media. Participations: Journal of Audience and Reception Studies 15 (1), pp.252-271.
- Jones, B. 2017. ‘When there’s blood involved, a line been crossed’: Spike/Eric slash and the fascinations of the crossover text. Horror Studies 8 (2), pp.275-291. (10.1386/host.8.2.275_1)
- Jones, B. 2014. Written on the body: experiencing affect and identity in my fannish tattoos. Transformative Works and Cultures 16 (10.3983/twc.2014.0527)
- Jones, B. and Popova, M. 2017. Sex and sexualities in popular culture: a networking knowledge special issue. Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network 10 (3), pp.1-5. (10.31165/nk.2017.103.513)
- Willment, N. et al., 2025. The importance of professional skills within the changing media landscape of the UK screen industries: a case study of the ‘disruptive’ phenomenon of virtual production. Media Practice and Education 26 (1), pp.1-19. (10.1080/25741136.2024.2336759)
Book sections
- Bennett, L. , Chin, B. and Jones, B. 2016. Between privacy, ethics, fandom and social media: new trajectories that challenge media producer/fan relations. In: Davisson, A. and Booth, P. eds. Controversies in Digital Ethics. Llandysul: Bloomsbury. , pp.107-122.
- Chin, B. and Jones, B. 2017. Crowdfunding independence: British cinema and digital production/distribution platforms. In: Hunter, I. , Porter, L. and Smith, J. eds. The Routledge Companion to British Cinema History. London: Routledge. , pp.418-428. (10.4324/9781315392189)
- Driessen, S. and Jones, B. 2025. Fandom’s dark side: Uncovering the intricacies of conspiratorial play as digital practice. In: Le Clue, N. ed. Beyond Fandom: The Dark Side of Social Media Discourse. London: Emerald Publishing Limited. , pp.95-109. (10.1108/978-1-83608-482-220251007)
- Jones, B. 2017. "Are you ready for this?" "I don't know if there's a choice": Cult reboots, The X-Files revival, and fannish expectations. In: Click, M. A. and Scott, S. eds. The Routledge Companion to Media Fandom. New York: Routledge. , pp.347-355. (10.4324/9781315637518)
- Jones, B. 2018. #AskELJames, Ghostbusters, and #Gamergate: digital dislike and damage control. In: Booth, P. ed. A Companion to Media Fandom and Fan Studies. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.. , pp.415-429. (10.1002/9781119237211.ch26)
- Jones, B. 2012. Buffy vs. Bella: gender, relationships and the modern vampire. In: Mutch, D. ed. The Modern Vampire and Human Identity. London: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.37–54. (10.1057/9780230370142_3)
- Jones, B. 2025. Creating and expanding the worlds of the Walking Dead. In: Bacon, S. ed. The Palgrave Handbook of the Zombie. Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.1113-1128. (10.1007/978-3-032-05696-2_70)
- Jones, B. 2016. "I will throw you off your ship and you will drown and die”: death threats, intra-fandom hate, and the performance of fangirling. In: Bennett, L. and Booth, P. eds. Seeing Fans: Representations of Fandom in Media and Popular Culture. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. , pp.53-66. (10.5040/9781501318481.ch-005)
- Jones, B. 2019. "If even one person gets hurt because of those books, that’s too many.” Fifty Shades anti-fandom, lived experience and the role of the subcultural gatekeeper. In: Click, M. A. ed. Anti-Fandom: Dislike and Hate in the Digital Age. Vol. 24, Postmillennial Pop New York: New York University Press. , pp.271-290. (10.18574/nyu/9781479866625.003.0016)
- Jones, B. 2018. "My music was on shuffle, one of their songs came on, and I had to hit next ...": Navigating grief and disgust in Lostprophets fandom. In: Williams, R. ed. Everybody Hurts: Transitions, Endings, and Resurrections in Fan Cultures. Fandom & Culture University of Iowa Press. , pp.43-58. (10.2307/j.ctt22h6qtt.7)
- Jones, B. 2014. Normal human interest in werewolves and vampires bonking. In: Clayton, W. and Harman, S. eds. Screening Twilight: Critical Approaches to a Cinematic Phenomenon. I.B. Tauris Film Studies Archive 1998-2015, Title By Title London: I.B.Tauris & Co. Ltd. , pp.187–204. (10.5040/9780755694679.ch-015)
- Jones, B. 2022. Reopening The X-Files: generational fandom, gender, and bodily autonomy. In: Kies, B. and Connor, M. eds. Fandom, the Next Generation. Fandom & Culture University of Iowa Press. , pp.20-32. (10.2307/j.ctv2k4fwq8.5)
- Jones, B. 2026. School shooter fanfiction as true crime content: making the case for fan creations as legitimate modes of production, consumption and understanding. In: Hobbs, S. and Hoffman, M. eds. #TrueCrime: Digital Culture, Ethics and True Crime Audiences. Palgrave Fan Studies Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. , pp.93-116. (10.1007/978-3-031-99390-9_6)
- Jones, B. 2013. The fandom is out there: social media and The X-Files online. In: Barton, K. M. and Lampley, J. M. eds. Fan CULTure: Essays on Participatory Fandom in the 21st Century. [Fan CULTure: Essays on Participatory Fandom in the 21st Century]. McFarland & Co. , pp.92-105.
- Jones, B. 2013. The g-woman and the fowl one: fic and femslash in The X-Files fandom. In: Jamison, A. ed. Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World. Smart Pop. , pp.122-129.
- Jones, B. 2022. Toxic fandom: Star Wars (episodes VII-IX). In: Bacon, S. ed. Toxic Cultures: A Companion. Vol. 8, Genre Fiction and Film Companions Peter Lang Group AG. , pp.171-182. (10.3726/b17458)
- Jones, B. and El Madawi, S. 2025. Playing their own private detectives: digital witnessing, forensic fandom and true crime narratives. In: Gies, L. ed. Trial by Media: Participatory Justice in a Networked World. Palgrave Studies in Crime, Media and Culture (PSCMC) Springer Nature. , pp.163-187. (10.1007/978-3-031-80593-6_7)
- Jones, B. et al. 2025. Unreal spaces, real peripheries: Exploring the materialities of virtual production. In: Mitchell, S. et al., The Screens of Virtual Production: What is Real?. London: Routledge. , pp.62-75. (10.4324/9781003463139-6)
Books
- Jones, B. Proctor, W. et al., 2019. Jafar Wars: fan-created paratexts in Alderaan places. [Disney's Star Wars: Forces of Production, Promotion, and Reception]. Fandom & Culture University of Iowa Press. (10.2307/j.ctvmx3ht7.18)
Conferences
- Brereton, J. et al., 2024. Play your way into production: game-based skills development for the screen industries. Presented at: 18th European Conference on Games Based Learning Aarhus University 3-4 October 2024. Published in: Kilså, K. and Basaiawmoit, R. V. eds. Proceedings of the 18th European Conference on Games Based Learning. Vol. 18.Vol. 1. Academic Conferences International Ltd. , pp.124-132. (10.34190/ecgbl.18.1.2765)
Websites
- Jones, B. 2015. Aca-fan research on fannish sites: ethical and moral challenges to using social media. [Online].Bethan V Jones: Fan Studies, Cult Television, Nostalgia: Bethan V Jones: Fan Studies, Cult Television, Nostalgia. Available at: https://bethanvjones.wordpress.com/2015/04/03/aca-fan-research-on-fannish-sites-ethical-and-moral-challenges-to-using-social-media/.
- Jones, B. 2015. Book review: celebrity capital: assessing the value of fame by Barrie Gunter. [Online].LSE Review of Books: LSE Review of Books. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/73752/.
- Jones, B. 2014. Book review: the Ashgate research companion to fan cultures edited by Linda Duits, Koos Zwaan and Stijn Reijnders. [Online].LSE Review of Books: LSE Review of Books. Available at: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/73979/.
- Jones, B. 2016. 'My inner goddess is smouldering and not in a good way’: an anti-fannish account of consuming Fifty Shades“. [Online].Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media: Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media. Available at: https://intensitiescultmedia.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/2-jones-inner-goddess.pdf.
- Jones, B. 2014. Unusual geography: Discworld board games and paratextual L-space. [Online].Vol. 7Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media: Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media. Available at: https://intensitiescultmedia.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/6-jones-unusual-geography-pp-55-73.pdf.
- Jones, B. and Clayton, W. 2014. Special Issue: the transmedia relationship between film/TV texts and board games.. [Online].Vol. 7Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media: Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media. Available at: https://intensitiescultmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/1-jones-and-clayton-editors-introduction-pp-1-41.pdf.
Research
My research is interdisciplinary and sites at the intersection of Media Studies, Cultural Studies and Sociology. I am interested in what audiences do with texts and platforms, which can include forensic fandom on TikTok, the circulation of conspiracy theories on X, mass killer fanfiction and screen tourism.
My current research topics include:
- Media tourism
- True crime
- Cult television
- The Walking Dead franchise
- Murderabilia
- Fan collecting
- The X-Files franchise
- Tattoos and identity
Teaching
I am Module Leader on the following undergraduate courses:
- Year Two - Digital Culture
- Year Three - Immersive Media
I currently supervise three third year dissertation students.
While at the Uniersity of South Wales I have led modules on Digital Media & Society (second year), Media and Culture in Wales (third year) and Dissertation (third year) as well as teaching on Media Audiences and Fandom (second year) and International Media (third year).
Biography
Career Overview
2024 – present: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Synthetic Pasts, School of Journalism Media and Culture / Hourly Paid Lecturer
2023 – 2024: Research Fellow, Media Cymru, University of South Wales
2022 – 2024: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Screen Industries Growth Network, University of York
2021 – 2022: Senior Communications and Marketing Manager, Department of Skills, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, Welsh Government
2017 – 2022: Senior Communications and Marketing Manager, Department of Skills, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, Welsh Government
2013 – 2017: Communications and Marketing Officer, Department of Skills, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning, Welsh Government
Education
2021 PhD by Published Works (Journalism)
"Fandom is Beautiful (Except When It Isn’t): Hatred, Dislike and Toxicity Online"
Cardiff University, School of Journalism, Media and Cultureal Studies
2010 MA Teaching and Practice of Creative Writing
Cardiff University, School of English, Communication and Philosophy
2003 BA Creative Studies in English with the Study of Religions
Bath Spa University
Honours and awards
2025. Choice Outstanding Academic Title. Awarded to Participatory Culture Wars: Controversy, Conflict and Complicity in Fandom edited by Simone Driessen, Bethan Jones and Benjamin Litherland.
2025. Cardiff University Enriching Student Life Awards. Outstanding Learning Environment. Nominee.
Committees and reviewing
Editor
Popular Communication (2023 - 2025)
Editorial and Advisory Board Member
TV Matters book series at Intellect (2025 - )
Pop Culture in Context book series at De Gruyter (2025 - )
Pop Junctions Reflections on Entertainment, Pop Culture, Activism, Media Literacy, Fandom and More (2022 - )
Transformative Works and Culture (2016 - )
Journal of Fandom Studies (2015 - )
Journal Submission Reviewer (in addition to above)
American Behavioral Scientist
Celebrity Studies
Convergence
New Media & Society
InMedia. The French Journal of Media Studies
Intensities
Journal of Fandom Studies
Journal of Porn Studies
Particip@tions: International Journal of Audience Research
Television and New Media
Book Manuscript and Proposal Reviewer
Amsterdam University Press
mediastudies.press
Syracuse University Press
Conference Paper and Panel Reviewer
Console-ing Passions (2022)
Grant Reviewer
UKRI Funding Service. ESRC responsive mode: new investigator grants round two (2025)
Engagement
I have appeared on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme talking about fan responses to the news that One Direction would be taking an extended break and have recently given input to The Vinyl Alliance on their Gen Z report, specifically examining the rise of interest in vinyl.
I have appeared in international media commenting about fandom, conspiracy theories and popular culture more broadly. I was recently interviewed for articles in Metrópoles on fan mourning and O Globo on fanspiracy, Kamala Harris and the sex trafficking allegations against Sean ‘Diddy’ Coombs, and was interviewed live on ABC News about the Netflix series Baby Reindeer. I have also spoken to BBC Radio York about tattoos and an exhibition I co-organised for York Festival of Ideas, Insider, where I commented on the sale of Lana Del Ray’s ‘coke’ necklace, and KLM's in-flight magazine Holland Herald.
I published a book on The X-Files in 2023 and was a guest at PhileFest, a convention where fans celebrated the show's 30th anniversary. I appeared on a number of podcasts including Fanomenal, X-Treks, Growing Up 80s, The X-Cast, Believe Me and Hey Danny, it’s Mulder discussing the show, its legacy, its fandom and its relevance to the current political moment. i was also interviewed for The Historians about the thirtieth anniversary of the show and Psychology Today on shipping, and appeared live on VeritasRadio and Coast to Coast with Ian Purcell discussing the show.
More recently I have been working on true crime and appeared on The C.O.W.S. podcast where I was interviewed about dark fandom and Columbine.
I have produced industry and policy briefings on topics including skills gaps and training provision in the UK screen industries, employability in the video games industry and screen tourism and have contributed to goverment consultations on high end television in the UK and post-pandemic econonic growth. I worked with Good Organisation on tourism impacts and community-led Solutions in York which resulted in the pubication of a report which offered insight into the underlying issues and provided examples of community-led tourism approaches from across the world that could be replicated locally. I also co-authored a report for Media Cymru that explored the capacity for innovation amongst Welsh screen sector freelancers.
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Fan and audience studies
- Culture, representation and identity
- Screen and media culture
- Media tourism
- true crime