![Bethan Jones](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/6656?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
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 co-editor for the journal Popular Communication: The International Journal of Media and Culture and board member on the Fan Studies Network.
Publication
2025
- Willment, N., Jones, B., Swords, J. and Brereton, J. 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., Jones, B., Reeve, C., Zborowski, J. and Bramwell-Dicks, A. 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 Presented at 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), article number: 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. Proctor, W. et al. eds. 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)
- 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)
2018
- 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. 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. #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)
2017
- 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. "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. ‘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)
- 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)
- 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)
2016
- 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. 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.
- 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.
- 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
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. Antifan activism as a response to MTV's The Valleys. Transformative Works and Cultures 19 (10.3983/twc.2015.0585)
- 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. 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. Fannish tattooing and sacred identity. Transformative Works and Cultures 18 (10.3983/twc.2015.0626)
- 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/
2014
- 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. 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. and Clayton, W. 2014. Special Issue: the transmedia relationship between film/TV texts and board games.. [Online]. Vol. 7. Intensities: 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
- Jones, B. 2014. Unusual geography: Discworld board games and paratextual L-space. [Online]. Vol. 7. Intensities: 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. 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. Written on the body: experiencing affect and identity in my fannish tattoos. Transformative Works and Cultures 16 (10.3983/twc.2014.0527)
- Chin, B., Jones, B., McNutt, M. and Pebler, L. 2014. Veronica Mars kickstarter and crowd funding. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0519)
- Jones, B. 2014. Fifty shades of exploitation: fan labor and Fifty Shades of Grey. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0501)
2013
- 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)
- 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)
- 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. 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)
- Bury, R., Deller, R. A., Greenwood, A. and Jones, B. 2013. From Usenet to Tumblr: the changing role of social media. Participations 10(1), pp. 299-318.
2012
- 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. 2012. Being of service: "X-Files" fans and social engagement. Transformative Works and Cultures 10 (10.3983/twc.2012.0309)
Articles
- Willment, N., Jones, B., Swords, J. and Brereton, J. 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)
- 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), article number: 120. (10.3390/h11050120)
- 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. 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)
- 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)
- 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. 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.
- 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. 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. 2015. Fannish tattooing and sacred identity. Transformative Works and Cultures 18 (10.3983/twc.2015.0626)
- 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. Written on the body: experiencing affect and identity in my fannish tattoos. Transformative Works and Cultures 16 (10.3983/twc.2014.0527)
- Chin, B., Jones, B., McNutt, M. and Pebler, L. 2014. Veronica Mars kickstarter and crowd funding. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0519)
- Jones, B. 2014. Fifty shades of exploitation: fan labor and Fifty Shades of Grey. Transformative Works and Cultures 15 (10.3983/twc.2014.0501)
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
- Bury, R., Deller, R. A., Greenwood, A. and Jones, B. 2013. From Usenet to Tumblr: the changing role of social media. Participations 10(1), pp. 299-318.
- Jones, B. 2012. Being of service: "X-Files" fans and social engagement. Transformative Works and Cultures 10 (10.3983/twc.2012.0309)
Book sections
- 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)
- 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. 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. 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)
- 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. 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)
- 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.
- 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. 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. 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)
Books
- Jones, B. Proctor, W. et al. eds. 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., Jones, B., Reeve, C., Zborowski, J. and Bramwell-Dicks, A. 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 Presented at 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. 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. 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. and Clayton, W. 2014. Special Issue: the transmedia relationship between film/TV texts and board games.. [Online]. Vol. 7. Intensities: 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
- Jones, B. 2014. Unusual geography: Discworld board games and paratextual L-space. [Online]. Vol. 7. Intensities: 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
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
Contact Details
Research themes
Specialisms
- Autoethnography
- Fan and audience studies
- Culture, representation and identity
- Screen and media culture
- Media tourism