Yaara Cohen is a researcher of popular culture, polysemy, intertextuality, and paratextuality. Her work focuses on the dynamic connections between traditional media and digital platforms, examining meaning-making processes as they unfold between different actors and across various media environments. Cohen has explored these dynamics in multiple contexts, from reality television shows like "Love is Blind" and "RuPaul's Drag Race" to cultural phenomena such as Easter eggs in Taylor Swift's work.
As a doctoral student in the Department of Communication and Journalism at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, she now explores intertextuality and meaning-making in digital spaces during times of conflict, specifically analyzing TikTok memes during the Israel-Hamas wars. Cohen serves as the research coordinator for the ISF-funded project "Memes of War." Her interests also extend to human-machine relations in gaming, streaming platforms, and emergent AI phenomena like Loab.
Research Interests:
Popular Culture: Television, Reality Shows, and Gaming
Paratextuality and Intertextuality
Audience Research
Publications in Preparation:
Cohen, Y., & Boxman-Shabtai, L. Constructing reality: Paratexts, power dynamics, and meaning-making in "Love is Blind".
Boxman-Shabtai, L., Cohen, Y., Daas, Y., Ragabi, N., & Turgeman, A. Polivocal Content Analysis.
Conference Presentations:
Cohen, Y. (December, 2024). Connections between reality and Reality TV: Paratexts, power dynamics, and meaning-making in "Love is Blind". Presented at the Graduate Student Communication Conference. Haifa.
Cohen, Y. (April, 2025). Connections between reality and Reality TV: Paratexts, power dynamics, and meaning-making in "Love is Blind". Israeli Communication Association Conference. Haifa.
Academic Awards and Scholarships:
Dean's Excellence Award, Hebrew University of Jerusalem (2024)
President's Excellence Award, Kay College (2021)
Dean's Excellence Award in Academic Studies, Kay College (2020)
Dean's Excellence Award in Pedagogical Studies, Kay College (2020)
Social Initiative Scholarship, in memory of Nadav Goldmacher, ICL Company (2020)