Rethinking the digital public sphere. An analysis of German parties' Facebook communication in the context of Russia's war in Ukraine.

With the emergence of social media and digital networks, political communication has become increasingly complex and abundant, which scholars have defined as the 4th age of political communication. Conventional assumptions of political communication such as agenda setting or media effects show difficulties in explaining communication processes on such new media platforms. Empirical research on social media communication of parties is still scarce outside of the United States, particularly when considering the specific national contexts. Focusing on political parties’ Facebook communication about Russia’s war in Ukraine as a case study, this study addresses how German parties employ social media as means of political competition. Using topic modeling and sentiment analysis, the article argues for a reconsideration of core concepts when analysing parties’ communication in the digital public sphere. It also highlights the importance of understanding parties’ positioning on matters of foreign policy.