Political Communication

Political communication research lies at the intersection of long-standing research traditions in political science such as electoral politics, legislative studies and the study of political agendas. Ever since the early work of scholars such as Lasswell, Katz and Lazarsfeld, political communication researchers have been investigating the (triangular) relation between political actors, citizens and the media. Contemporary societal changes, driven by technological advances and fundamental challenges to representative democracy, are shaping the field of political communication. For instance, mediated communications have become ubiquitous in citizens’ everyday lives, and political actors increasingly have to adapt to changes in the media landscape. The fragmentation of the media landscape and its audiences or the increase of populist rhetoric by political parties are just two examples of the consequences of these developments. Therefore, in todays mediated context, studying the causes and consequences of changes in communication for the political realm becomes ever more important. Building on the successful political communication sections at previous general conferences, this section aims to bring together relevant scholarship that addresses the broader causes and consequences of (new) media and mediated communication for political processes and its actors. The section aims to provide a venue for scholars of political communication in the broadest sense possible, including research investigating the influence of media coverage on political behavior or attitudes, party communication strategies, political campaigns, agenda-setting and political journalism. Contributions investigating the impact of contemporary challenges to political communication, such as the rise and impact of internet-based communication, populist rhetoric, the fragmentation of the media landscape, fake news, and increased incivility online, are especially encouraged. The section also particularly welcomes cutting-edge contributions that venture into new territories of political communication, be it from an empirical or theoretical perspective. We aim to gather high-quality submissions that further inform our understanding of a wide range of contemporary topics within political communication, spanning a diverse set of methodological approaches from experiments and surveys to content analyses or process tracing. We welcome both individual submissions and Panel proposals with 4-5 Papers.