Helen Margetts

Helen Margetts arrived at the study of digital governance not as a technologist, but as a political scientist with a sharp eye for systemic change. Her work at the Oxford Internet Institute, which she directed for seven years, positioned her at the global forefront of understanding how the internet disrupts traditional power structures. Margetts moved beyond simple hype or fear, producing rigorous, data-driven research that showed how social media enables chaotic, rapid-fire political mobilization and how digital tools can both enhance and undermine government accountability. Her books, like 'Political Turbulence' and 'Digital Era Governance', became essential reading for policymakers scrambling to adapt. By leading the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute, she further bridged the gap between complex data science and the messy realities of public administration. Margetts provides the essential vocabulary and evidence for a world trying to govern itself in the age of clicks, likes, and viral outrage.