Political Communication in Times of Crisis

‘Crisis’ is a ubiquitous feature of contemporary politics and has shaped the research agenda of Political Communication. They encompass a broad variety of policy fields: Crises such as the financial crisis, the migration crisis, Brexit, COVID-19, and the climate crisis, but most recently also international conflicts escalating in Ukraine, Iran, Afghanistan, or the Middle East, put the legitimacy of political governance under pressure and have massively increased the spread of mis- and disinformation. How has political communication evolved? How do leaders and governments communicate to the mass public? How have journalists and media outlets come to terms with the rapidly accelerating flux of information? And, how do publics view their elected representatives, and voice their concerns? We invite submissions embedded in concepts such as, e.g., legitimacy, trust, or political support, politicisation, polarisation, or populism; research analysing current international crises; the climate crisis or the pandemic; communication through different channels, e.g., the news media, or social media, governmental or parliamentary communication; communication by actors beyond the political establishment, such as social movements, corporations, or influencers; methodological challenges of analysing political communication. We invite submissions using both, qualitative and/or quantitative methodologies, single case studies or comparative work, and both theoretical contributions and empirical research. The following 8 panels are proposed: Navigating Mis/disinformation, Incivility, and Post-Truth Social media have become a platform for hostile engagement, such as incivility, intolerance, and hate speech. This panel aims to explore the factors that facilitate problematic content, its effects, and how users perceive it. Moderation of such content is crucial, and the challenges and opportunities involved in moderating antinormative expressions on social media platforms will be discussed here. The spread of false information is also a major concern, especially in times of crisis when people rely on social media for information. This panel will examine the role of these toxic elements on social media and their implications for political communication. Communicating Conflict: Political Communication in International Conflicts For this panel, we seek contributions dealing with communication on the broader issue of international (military) conflict such as the escalation of the Gaza conflict, the conflict in Iran, the Taliban’s rise to power, or the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Contributions would, for example, analyse the social media networks of social movements, patterns in news coverage about it, or the communication by political elites. Political Crisis and Civil Society For this panel, we seek contributions focusing on the communication by civil society actors. This includes, for example, the political engagement of corporations, or social and protest movements. Submissions could, for example, analyse protest movements’ claims during the pandemic and dynamics of polarisation; they could also assess the increasing involvement of corporations in socio-political debates, or the role of, e.g., comedians or celebrities in political crises. Influencers Go Political: Shaping Political Discourse With the increasing prominence of social media influencers in political campaigns, this panel delves into their role in shaping the political behaviour of their followers. Despite some of them being primarily focused on lifestyle content, technology, gaming, finances and others, influencers are increasingly becoming important players in the political communication landscape. This panel aims to explore their strategies and communication styles when it comes to politics, highlighting the potential impact they can have on political campaigns. Strategies of Political Crisis Communication Political leaders are often under intense pressure in times of crisis since they need to make fast decisions under conditions of increased uncertainty and increased public scrutiny. In this panel, we seek to explore the communication strategies employed by political crisis managers and their success or failure. Contributions to this panel could, e.g., focus on governmental communication, but also on their effects in the parliamentary plenary or in terms of public support. The Role of Social Media in Shaping Perceptions of International Crises In times of crisis, people have an increased demand for information and tend to turn to social media for updates. Online conversations, both public discussions and private messaging, play a crucial role in disseminating information and forming people’s opinions about current issues. However, when it comes to controversial topics related to crises, such as migration, or war, these conversations fuel emotional responses, potentially leading to polarisation. Furthermore, these discussions can create a false impression that they represent a majority, which may lead to the suppression of voices in the public space. Communicating Climate Change in Times of Crisis: Challenges and Opportunities Communicating climate change can be challenging during times of additional crises, such as pandemics or natural disasters. Urgent threats often overshadow the importance of addressing the issue of climate change. However, climate change is closely related to surrounding events, and it is often other crises, such as war, that have a negative impact on climate change. In this panel, we will focus on the role of online discourse in shaping public perceptions and attitudes towards climate change. The importance of using data and evidence-based information to support communication efforts and the role of policymakers and social movements will also be covered. Facing the Computational Challenge: Anatomies of Methodological Failure This panel implements a novel approach by hosting presentations on failures in methodologically novel research enterprises. This includes, for example, computational text analysis, agent-based modelling, or exponential random graph modelling. The aim of the panel is to provide room for learning and understanding the promises and pitfalls of new methods increasingly shaping political communication research. Please send us a short description of what you intended to do, including the research interest (broadly stated or a more explicit research question), the data you wanted to analyse and the method(s) you wanted to apply, and how this did not work out, i.e., what the problem was and how/why you could (not) fix it.