Political Reversals and Renewals
The theme for this year’s Political Studies Association Media and Politics Group conference is Political Reversals and Renewals.
Recent elections and referenda have thrown up some unexpected results – outside candidates have emerged rapidly to take power, and established politicians have suffered an unexpected decline or increase in support. Traditional institutions such as political parties and trade unions have experienced a revival in membership. Received wisdom on public opinion and political behaviour has been disrupted, not least assumptions about the political engagement of millenials. This conference will explore mediated communication of politics in the context of such instability and insurgency.
We invite papers on any topic related to political reversals or political renewal, which may include but not be limited to:
- Reversals in fortune – the role of media scandals and controversies in declining political support for individuals or parties, or the spread of grassroots support into the mainstream
- Opinion poll upsets and the media obsession with electoral process reporting
- Agenda reversals such as the rise of immigration as an issue across Europe and North America, the emergence of……read more