Marc Owen Jones is an associate professor of media analytics at Northwestern University in Qatar, where he specializes in researching and lecturing on disinformation, digital authoritarianism, and political repression. His recent work has focused on investigating social media disinformation and harassment campaigns emanating from or targeting the Middle East. Having grown up in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, Jones has also lived, worked, and studied in Sudan, Syria, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

Jones earned his PhD in Government and International Affairs from Durham University in 2016. Following this, he undertook a six-month postdoctoral fellowship at Tübingen University, before joining Exeter University in Fall 2016. At Exeter, he transitioned from postdoctoral researcher to tenure-track lecturer, focusing on the history of the Arabian Peninsula and the Persian Gulf. From 2018-2024, he served as an assistant and later an associate professor of Middle East Studies and digital humanities at Hamad bin Khalifa University.

Jones has a prolific publication record, including two single-authored books: Political Repression in Bahrain, published by Cambridge University Press (2020), and Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Deception, Disinformation, and Social Media, published by Hurst Books and Oxford University Press (2022). He has also edited several key volumes on Bahrain and the Gulf, such as Gulfization of the Arab World (Gerlach Press, 2018) and Bahrain’s Uprising (Zed Books, 2015). His scholarly output spans dozens of book chapters and journal articles covering topics from digital disinformation and authoritarianism in the Middle East to Bahrain and imperial history and the role of social media in both activism and state control.

Jones has been invited to deliver lectures on the intersection of digital technology and political repression at prestigious institutions like Princeton University, University of Oxford, New York University, and the London School of Economics. He has also provided expert advice and training to the EU and other state and non-state entities on emerging digital disinformation threats and Gulf regional politics. During his PhD, he was also the director of the NGO Bahrain Watch, where he was instrumental in securing high-profile awards from organizations such as Access Now, Lush, Hivos, and the Nexus Foundation.

Jones' contributions to academia have been recognized with multiple awards. His PhD thesis was awarded the 2016 Best Thesis by the Association for Gulf and Arabian Peninsula Studies (AGAPS). In 2021, he received the UK Alumni Professional Achievement award from the British Council in Qatar. His book Digital Authoritarianism was recognized in Foreign Affairs’ 2023 Books of the Year list. His commitment to teaching has been acknowledged at both Exeter University and HBKU, where he has won several prizes. His interdisciplinary approach is evident in that he has developed and taught courses on subjects such as war, violence, and revolution in the Middle East, digital media and communication, digital propaganda and misinformation, and Gulf politics and history.

In addition to his academic roles, Jones is a non-resident fellow at the Middle East Council for Global Affairs. His expertise in digital repression, disinformation, and human rights has led to non-resident fellowships with the NGO Democracy for the Middle East Now and the Committee for Academic Freedom at the Middle East Studies Association (MESA). His work on combating Islamophobia and hate speech has also earned him an affiliate position at the Center for Security, Race, and Rights at Rutgers University.

Jones is known for his pioneering analysis of disinformation campaigns. From identifying dozens of fake journalists in a 2020 joint investigation with The Daily Beast to uncovering state-sponsored bots aimed at influencing U.S. politicians, his investigative work has garnered significant attention. His analysis of disinformation surrounding the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi was recognized by The New York Times in their “quote of the day” on October 20th, 2018. Additionally, his investigative thoroughness led him to challenge the U.K. Foreign Office in a tribunal over information regarding a British policeman accused of torture in Bahrain during the 1970s. The tribunal was featured by Reuters in 2015.

Beyond academia, Jones has written extensively for major international media outlets, including The Washington Post, CNN, Time Magazine, The Independent, and The New Statesman. His insights on bots, trolls, and disinformation have been featured in The New York Times, NPR, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian. He regularly contributes a column to Al Jazeera English and frequently appears on BBC, LBC, CBC News, and other media platforms.