This week, President Biden welcomed India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, to the White House. 

The move spurred celebration from some, and anger from human rights organizations. 

Joyojeet Pal, an expert in the use of social media in mainstream politics at the University of Michigan School of Information spoke with The New York Times about Modi’s careful messaging and why he’s so popular, both at home and abroad, despite criticism of his government. 

“On top of the system is Modi, whose communication is very carefully thought out, almost always positive, and always framed to present the indistinguishability of Modi from India,” said Joyojeet Pal, who studies political use of social media at the University of Michigan.

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Read “Why Is Narendra Modi So Popular? Tune In to Find Out” at The New York Times. 

Read more about Joyojeet’s research on technology and democracy in India by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.