I’m a Ph.D. candidate in Communication at UCLA.

My research examines how human behavior and algorithms interact to shape digital information engagement, with a broader goal of understanding how audience fragmentation and polarization emerge in virtual spaces across cultural contexts.

Using large-scale digital trace data and computational modeling, including LLMs and network analysis, I study how engagement develops across phases of digital news use such as viewing, clicking, reading, and participating, and how algorithmic systems learn from and reinforce user behavior. 

Through this work, I aim to advance theory and evidence on how human and algorithmic agency jointly construct contemporary information environments.

I'm affiliated with the Political Communication & Behavior Lab (PCB) and recently joined the Computation and Language for Society (CoLaS) Lab at UCLA.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

Kim, S., & Noh, S. (forthcoming). Disproportionate Voices: Participation Inequality and Hostile Engagement in News Comments.  International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media (ICWSM 2026). [preprint]

— Presented at IC2S2 2024 (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

Noh, S., & Soroka, S. (2025). Negativity Biases Online: The Interplay of Individuals and Algorithms in News Consumption. Journal of Media Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000479

— Presented at ICA 2025 (Denver, CO, USA)

Akcakir, G., Jiang, J., Luo, J., & Noh, S. (2023). Validating a Mixed Approach for Multilingual News Framing Analysis: A Case Study of COVID-19. Computational Communication Research, 5(21), 1. https://doi.org/10.5117/CCR2023.2.11.AKCA

Under Review

Noh, S., & Soroka, S. Engaging to Oppose: Cross-Cutting Patterns in Hostile News Commentary. Revise & Resubmit. [preprint]

— Presented at ICA 2024 (Gold Coast, Australia) and IC2S2 2024 (Philadelphia, PA, USA)

Noh, S. Expressive News Preferences: Identity-Signaling in News Selection. Revise & Resubmit. [preprint] 

— Presented at APSA Political Communication Preconference 2024 (Philadelphia, PA, USA) and ICA 2025 (Denver, CO, USA)

Kernell, G., & Noh, S. The AI Referee: How Online Interventions Shape Incivility and User Engagement in News Discussions. Revise & Resubmit. [preprint]

— Awarded research grant from UCLA Initiative to Study Hate (ISH) ($15,000); presented at MPSA 2023 (Chicago, IL, USA)

Work in Progress

Noh, S. Funnel of Engagement: User Segregation from Viewing to Selection to Consumption on a Mobile News Feed. (Manuscript in preparation, post-analysis stage)

— Presented at ICA Political Communication PhD Student Preconference 2024 (Denver, CO, USA); will be presented at APSA 2025 (Vancouver, Canada)

Noh, S. Human-Algorithm Temporal Interactions on Mobile News Feeds. (Manuscript in preparation, post-analysis stage)

— Presented at APSA Political Communication Preconference 2025 (Vancouver, Canada)

Noh, S., Soroka, S., & Bordes, Z. Screen Size and News Engagement. (Manuscript tin preparation, post-analysis stage). [OSF preregistration]

Noh, S., & Berwald, R. Correcting Misinformation, but Sustaining Conclusions: The Role of Emotional and Partisan Attachments in Narrative Persistence. (Data collection stage, online experiment). 

— Awarded UCLA Political Psychology Fellowship ($1,000)

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