An Emotional Reaction: Analysing the Public's Response to Communication Tactics Used by Political Leaders in Norway During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Presenter: Roy Aulie Jacobsen, Kristiania University Oslo Discussant: Pablo Jost, University of Mainz Chair: Nicoleta Corbu, SNSPA, Bucharest This study investigates how communication strategies drive emotional responses on Facebook, shaping public engagement. Emotional reactions like "love," "anger," and "sad" increase post visibility within users' networks and support political participation, amplifying citizen voices and public discourses. The conceptual framework is grounded in framing, platformisation, and engagement-focused studies but addresses a gap by exploring the emotional aspects of engagement and their democratic implications. Using a content analysis of 5,645 Facebook posts covering the COVID-19 pandemic from March 2020 to January 2022, using nine communication strategies, including criticism, crisis framing, and excellence/renewal, were coded and analysed using a multilevel approach. Results suggest that criticism tends to evoke "anger," generating more comments and shares, while excellence/renewal posts receive more "love" reactions and are widely shared but less commented upon. These findings show how different emotional responses align with communication strategies, offering insights into improving political messaging and fostering engagement on social media.