Political Communication in a Digital Era

Abstract

The media landscape has changed significantly over the past decades and the field of political communication has not sat still. The rise of social media, the vilifying of traditional media sources by certain political figures, and the overwhelming amount of political information at the fingertips of anyone who can use Google is all on the agenda of this panel. Consideration will be given to how the rise of digital communication, including social media as a messaging tool for political parties, can challenge the authoritarian control over the traditional media in certain countries. But is that enough, when disinformation is spread and political figures are actively accusing specific media outlets of spreading such ‘fake news’? Is everyone equally susceptible to such messaging? Does a person’s political view influence the way in which they look for information, or the source they take it from? Or is every one of us the victim of selective exposure to certain messages every time we take to Google to seek out political information? This panel discusses all the questions in light of how the changing media environment has affected both the use of the media by political actors, as well as the manner in which the audience receives political messaging.