Networked Publics during the 2019 European Parliamentary Elections

Abstract

The panel seeks to examine the interplay between social networks and the 2019 European parliamentary elections by employing a cross-disciplinary approach. Papers map out the networked communication flows (e.g. density of interactions, the centrality of actors, and distribution of connections) that took place during the 2019 European Parliamentary Elections. The panel aims to reflect on the challenges of access to a plurality of information on online spaces. For instance, social media can facilitate the flow of information and opinions between citizens, journalists and politicians but they can also sharpen political arguments among these actors and by doing so polarize the electorate. We discuss empirical research and theoretically-driven contributions aiming to understand political interactions in networked spaces. Indeed, we discuss methodologically innovative ways that can expand our knowledge on networked publics in the context of political campaigns. We investigate the focus on measuring both individual and structural patterns of interaction. The panel contributes to the identification of central actors and dominant arguments, i.e. hubs of communication, and to the exploration of social emergence of such centrality in contemporary political discourses. There is also a pressing need to analyse the main specificities of social media platforms in cross-border campaign activities. We discuss comparative researches on online deliberation, virality, topic salience, and online influence during the 2019 EP campaign.