Bridging the gap
Connecting approaches, methods and scholars

Thursday, 04 September

08:30 – 09:00           Arrival and registration

09:00 – 09:15           Opening Remarks

09:15 – 10:00           Keynote Speech (tba)

10:00 – 10:30           Coffee Break

10:30 – 12:00           Panel Session I

12:00 – 13:15           Lunch Break

13:15 – 14:45           Panel Session II

14:45 – 15:15           Coffee Break

15:15 – 16:45           Panel Session III

17:15 – 18:45           Sightseeing walk terminating at the dinner location (approx. 3km, public transport can be used alternatively)

19:00                         Conference Dinner at the Bergisel Ski Jump

Friday, 05 September

09:00 – 10:30           Panel Session IV

10:30 – 11:00           Coffee Break

11:00 – 12:30           Panel Session V

12:30 – 13:30           Lunch Break

13:30 – 14:30           Political Communication Section Business Meeting

14:30 – 16:00           Panel Session VI

16:00                         Farewell Drinks

Thursday, 04 September 2025

Location  University of Innsbruck - Faculty of Social and Political Sciences| Universitätsstraße 15 | AT-6020 Innsbruck

8.30 – 9.00 : Arrival and registration

9.00 - 9.10 am: Opening Remarks by Lore Hayek and Uta Rußmann (University of Innsbruck)
9.10 - 10.00 am: Keynote Speech Barbara Pfetsch (Freie Universität Berlin)
Room: Aula

10.00 – 10.30 am: Coffee Break

10.30 am – 12.00 pm: Panel I

10.30 am – 12.00 pm: Panel I, Session A | 2024 European Parliament Election: Comparisons across Countries & Parties
Seminar room 1
Chair: Vaclav Stetka (Loughborough University)
1. How Do Political Parties Frame Climate Change Action? A Comparative Frame Analysis Across 9 EU Countries
Peter Van Aelst (University of Antwerp); Marthe Walgrave (University of Antwerp)
2. Weaponizing Wedge Issues: A Comparative Content Analysis of Political Parties’ Populist and Illiberal Communication Strategies on Facebook During the 2024 European Election
Jörg Haßler (LMU Munich); Melanie Magin (NTNU Trondheim); Uta Russmann (University of Innsbruck); Anna-Katharina Wurst (LMU Munich); Delia Balaban (Babeş-Bolyai University); Paweł Baranowski (WROC University of Wroclaw); Simon Kruschinski (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Georgios Lappas (University of Western Macedonia); Sara Machado (CITCEM / FLUP – University of Porto); Silvia Marcos-García (Universitat Jaume I); Martina Novotná (Masaryk University); Ioannis Petridis (University of Western Macedonia); Anda Rožukalne (Rīga Stradiņš University); Annamária Sebestyén (Centre for Social Sciences); Felix-Christopher von Nostitz (Université Catholique de Lille-ESPO)
3. Anti-EU Campaigning in the Visegrad Region: Populist Framing with Limited Engagement
Alena Pospíšil Macková (Masaryk University); Lucie Čejková (Masaryk University); Pawel Baranowski (University of Wroclaw); Krisztina Burai (The Centre for Social Sciences, Budapest); Martina Novotná (Masaryk University); Michal Garaj (University of St. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava)
4. Constructing Representation: A Comparative Analysis of Political Actors' Claims on Facebook During European and National Election Campaign
Márton Bene (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences); Gábor Illés (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences); Uta Russmann (University of Innsbruck); Anders Olof Larsson (Kristiania University College); Jörg Haßler (LMU Munich); Alena Macková (Masaryk University of Brno)
5. One Side, Two Paths: A Comparative Analysis of Klára Dobrev and Péter Magyar’s Political Styles in the 2024 Hungarian EP Campaign
Dorottya Lovász (ELTE University)

10.30 am – 12.00 pm: Panel I, Session B | COVID-19 Communication & Crises Communication
Seminar room 2
Chair: Lore Hayek (University of Innsbruck)
1. How We Learned to Hate Each Other -  Polarizing Topics in COVID-19 Conversations from r/Sweden and  r/Austria
Gregor Rettenegger (Gothenburg University)
2. Consensus and Conflict in Crisis: Opinion Dynamics on COVID-19 Measures Across Societal Groups on X
Simon Kruschinski (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Marcus Maurer (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Tilman Beck (University Hospital Zürich); Iryna Gurevych (TU Darmstadt); Shakib Yazdani (Saarland University)
3. Engaging with the (Un)truth: How Uncivil and Emotional Accusations of Untruthfulness Drive Facebook Reactions during COVID-19
Alena Kluknavská (Masaryk University)
4. Resilient but Distrustful: The Role of Media Consumption, Trusted Information Sources and Conspiracy Thinking During Crises
Karolína Bieliková (Masaryk University); Lucie Čejková (Masaryk University); Alena Pospíšil (Masaryk University)
5. Horizontal Blaming by Governments during Crises: The Role of Non-Institutional Factors
Christian Schwaderer (University of Innsbruck); Sarah C. Dingler (University of Innsbruck); Lore Hayek (University of Innsbruck); Martin Senn (University of Innsbruck)

10.30 am – 12.00 pm: Panel I, Session C | Incivility & Counterspeech
Seminar room 3
Chair: Andreea Stancea (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration)
1. Calls Against Democracy? A Cross-National and Cross-Platform Comparison of Civil and Uncivil Mobilization in the 2024 U.S. and 2025 German Election Campaigns
Kim Pamina Syed Ali (University of Zürich); Hedvig Tønnesen (Norwegian University of Science and Technology – NTNU)
2. Who Sees It, Who Engages in It? Correlates and Drivers of Online Incivility in Austria
Andrea Wiesner (University of Vienna); Anna Planitzer (University of Vienna); Jakob-Mortiz Eberl (University of Vienna)
3. How Does Conflict Affect Perceptions of Incivility? A Case Study of The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Dvir Gvirsman Shira (University of Leeds)
4. Collective Voices: Understanding Counter-Speech Strategies for Safer Digital Spaces
Anna Maria Planitzer (University of Vienna); Ahrabhi Kathirgamalingam (Center for Advanced Internet Studies (CAIS)

10.30 am – 12.00 pm: Panel I, Session D | Cringe Culture in Politics: Exploring Humour, Vulnerability, and Ridicule in the Digital Age (full panel submission)
Seminar room 5
Chairs: Gabriella Szabó (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Budapest) & Lenka Vochocová (Charles University)
1. The Politics of Golden Fries: Cringe Culture and Its Rise in Czech Political Discourse
Jan Zápotocký (Charles University)
Respondent: Snežana Bajčeta (University of Belgrade)
2. “His Squareness” Filip Turek and his Engine Boys: A Case Study of Cringe Political Communication Centred around Gender-related Issues
Jonáš Syrovátka (Charles University); Lenka Vochocová (Charles University)
Respondent: Gabriella Szabó (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Budapest)
3. Authoritarian Regime in the Vortex of Cringe: The Case of Serbia
Aleksandra Krstić (University of Belgrade); Snežana Bajčeta (University of Belgrade)
Respondent: Edlira Gugu (University “Aleksandër Xhuvani")
4. Cringe Communication in Hungarian Politics: Insult Comedy as campaign tool in 2024
Gabriella Szabó (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences, Budapest)
Respondent: Jan Zápotocký (Charles University)
5. Cringe as a Political Weapon: Albanian Politician Discourse during Parliamentary Election
Edlira Gugu (University “Aleksandër Xhuvani")
Respondents: Jonáš Syrovátka (Charles University) & Lenka Vochocová (Charles University)

12.00 – 13.15 pm: Lunch

13.15 – 14.45 pm: Panel II

13.15 – 14.45 pm: Panel II, Session A| Reconfiguring Trust in Networked Environments(full panel submission)
Seminar room 1
Chair: Karolina Koc-Michalska (Audencia Business School & University of Silesia)
1. Conceptualizing Trust in a Digital Environment
Daniel Weissmann, Kate Dommett, James Weinberg (Sheffield University)
2. Trust, Social Ties, and the Spread of Political Conspiracy Theories on Social Media
Paweł Matuszewski (Collegium Civitas)
3. Trust in the Changing Political Context, Emotions, and Populist Attitudes
Karolina Koc-Michalska (Audencia Business School & University of Silesia); Damian Guzek (University of Silesia); Max-Valentin Robert (Audencia Business School); Daniel Weissmann (Sheffield University); Katherine Dommett (Sheffield University); James Weinberg (Sheffield University); Elizabeth Dubois (University of Ottawa); Agnieszka Turska-Kawa (University of Silesia); Bruce Bimber  (UCSB)
4. Trust in the Digital Age: News Influencers, Political Misinformation, and Audience Perceptions
Morgan Wack (University of Zurich); Christian Pipal (University of Zurich); Eva Vogel (University of Zurich & University of Amsterdam); Frank Esser (University of Zurich)
5. Trust in Generative AI - Variations Across the Globe
Kari Steen-Johnsen (Institute for Social Research, Oslo); Atle Hennum Haugsgjerd (Institute for Social Research, Oslo); Rune Karlsen (University of Oslo); Claes de Vreese (University of Amsterdam)

13.15 – 14.45 pm: Panel II, Session B| Journalistic Roles & Relations
Seminar room 2
Chair: Jakob Ohme (Weizenbaum Institute)
1. Replacement Effect: How Political Pressure Affects Journalistic Role Performance
Agnieszka Stępińska (Adam Mickiewicz University); Kinga Adamczewska (Adam Mickiewicz University); Bartłomiej Secler (Adam Mickiewicz University)
2. Bridging the Gap between Neutral and Activist Journalistic Role Conceptions in Reporting on Climate Change Mitigation? Citizen and Journalist Perspectives on Balance, Weight of Evidence and Activism
Juliane Keilmann (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Alina Jakob (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Nayla Fawzi (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz)
3. Communicative Functions and Journalistic Roles in Cross-Cultural Political Satire: A Comparative LLM-Assisted Analysis
Andreas M. Kraxberger (University of Innsbruck)
4. Connecting Expectations, Evaluations and Experiences: Taking Audiences Seriously to Bridge the Gap Between the Public and the News Media
Julie Firmstone (University of Leeds); John Steel (University of Derby)
5. Story about Frenemies: A Comparative Study of Politician-Journalist Relations in Austria and the Czech Republic
Martina Novotná (Masaryk University); Alena Macková (Masaryk University); Alena Kluknavská (Masaryk University); Folker Hanusch (University of Vienna); Dominik Hokamp (University of Vienna)

13.15 – 14.45 pm: Panel II, Session C| Strategic Communication & Impact on Citizens
Seminar room 3
Chair: Simon Kruschinski (Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz);
1. Interest Group Executives’ Implicit Theories about Influencing Politics via the Media and their Empirical Robustness: A Mixed-method Study on the Mediatization of Lobbying
Gerrit Philipps (Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf)
2. Behind the Feeds: Political Parties’ Digital Campaign Strategies in the 2021 Norwegian Election Campaign
Hedvig Tønnesen (NTNU Trondheim)
3. How Does the Communication Strategy Employed by Political Elites Influence Individuals’ Evaluation of Political Elites?
Alexandra Feddersen (University of Fribourg); Anna-Lena Nadler (University of Fribourg); Jonas Baur (University of Fribourg)
4. From Attack to Response: Party Conflict and Its Impact on Public Perceptions
Christoph Ivanusch (LMU MunicH); Daniel Sandvej Eriksen (Aarhus University)

14.45 – 15.15 pm: Coffee Break

15.15 – 16.45 pm: Panel III, Session A| Artificial Intelligence
Seminar room 1
Chair: Melanie Magin (NTNU Trondheim)
1. Human-AI Interaction and the Future of Political Communication. A Scoping Review
Viorela Dan (University of Innsbruck)
2. The Dual Role of Artificial Intelligence in Disinformation: A Systematic Review Across Disciplines and Regions
Maria F. Grub (University of Jena); Edda Humprecht (University of Jena)
3. Artificial Intelligence in Politics: A Global Study of Persuasive Targeting Strategies
Sanne Kruikemeier; Svenja Schäfer; Rens Vliegenthart; Alice Hamilton; Puck Guldemond; Jade Vrielink; Carmen Dymanus; Annelien Van Remoortere; Sanne Tamboer; Susan Vermeer; Sophie Boerman (Wageningen University & Research)
4. AI-Generated Political Imagery and Systemic Risks: A Case Study of Far-Right Telegram Channels During German Regional Elections
Rita Gsenger (Weizenbaum Institute, Freie Universität Berlin); Annett Heft (University of Tübingen & Weizenbaum Institute); Christian Donner (Institute for Democracy and Civil Society, Jena); Maik Fielitz (Institute for Democracy and Civil Society, Jena)
5. Navigating Innovation and Control: Public Perceptions of Risks and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence in Political Communication
Hannah Fecher (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Simon Kruschinski (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Pablo Jost (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz); Tobias Scherer (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz)

15.15 – 16.45 pm: Panel III, Session B| Young Voters & Political Education
Seminar room 2
Chair: Anna Maria Planitzer (University of Vienna) 
1. How Novel and Traditional Agents of Political Socialization Affect Adolescents’ Political Identity and Participation
Maximilian Klesl (University of Vienna); Darian Harff (University of Vienna & KU Leuven); Ellen Van Houtven (KU Leuven & University of Vienna); Desiree Schmuck (University of Vienna & KU Leuven)
2. From Suspicion to Strategy: A Digital Diary Study on Young People's Engagement with Disinformation
Susanne Reitmair-Juárez (University of Innsbruck)
3. Democratic Deliberation Starts at the Dinner Table: Young Danes and Relatable Political Discussions in their ‘Safe Gardens’
Gitte Stald (IT University of Copenhagen)
4. Element Design for Active Learning: How History and Counterfactuals can Increase Students' Ability to Analyze Political Communication
Michael Bossetta (Lund University)
5. Bridging the Gap Between Politics and an Apolitical, Poorly Educated Group in Austria
Katharina Biringer (St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences)

15.15 – 16.45 pm: Panel III, Session C| Disinformation & Misperceptions
Seminar room 3
Chair: Anamaria Dutceac Segesten (Lund University) 
1. Unpacking the Impact of Russian Disinformation in Eastern Europe: A Comparative Approach
Vaclav Stetka (Loughborough University); Fanni Toth (Durham University)
2. Electoral Shifts and Disinformation: A Longitudinal Study of the Evolution of Romanian Voter Support for Nationalist Populist Parties Until the 2024 Elections
Madalina Botan (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration); Andreea Stancea (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration); Remus Stefureac (INSCOP Research Romania)
3. Sharpening, Strengthening, and Scrutinizing – Tailoring Misinformation Interventions to Different Weaknesses
Luisa Gehle (University of Mainz)
4. Debunking Migration Myths: An Experimental Approach to Correcting Misperceptions about Migrants
Nico Spreen & Robin Leuppert (Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media)

17.15 Uhr – 18.45 pm Uhr: Sightseeing walk terminating at the dinner location (approx. 3km, public transport can be used alternatively)

19.00 pm: Conference Dinner at the Bergisel Ski Jump

Friday, 05 September 2025

Location  University of Innsbruck - | Universitätsstraße 15 | AT-6020 Innsbruck

09.00 am – 10.30 am: Panel IV

09.00 am – 10.30 pm: Panel IV, Session A | Political Polarization
Seminar room 1
Chair: Márton Bene (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences)
1. Discursive Polarization Compared: the Meta-Coverage of Polarization in Tabloids and Broadsheets from UK, Germany and Sweden
Anamaria Dutceac Segesten (Lund University); Mike Farjam (Hamburg University); Hendrik Meyer (Hamburg University); Michael Brüggemann (Hamburg University)
2. Generational Divides in Media Consumption and Its Impact on Populism and Polarization
Rens Vliegenthart & Sanne Kruikemeier (Wageningen University & Research)
3. The Many Facets of Affective Polarization: How Media and Political Systems Shape Emotional Divides in Multiparty Democracies
Qinfeng Zhu (University of Groningen); Gabriel M. Li (Chapman University); Fan Liang (Duke Kunshan University)
4. ”It’s grim up north” - Hybrid Extremism and Political Polarization in Danish, Swedish, and Finnish Political Party Facebook Groups: A Comparative Analysis
Anders Olof Larsson (Kristiania University of Applied Sciences); Jakob Linaa Jensen (Aarhus University); Anamaria Dutceac Segesten (Lund University); Elisa Kannasto (University of Vaasa); David Nicolas Hopmann (University of Southern Denmark); Melanie Magin (NTNU Trondheim) 
5. Engaging the Divide: User Reactions to Anti-Populist Politicians' Messages on Social Media in the Czech Republic
Vlastimil Havlík & Alena Kluknavská (Masaryk University)

09.00 am – 10.30 pm: Panel IV, Session B | Agenda Setting, Framing, LLM & Computational Analysis
Seminar room 2
Chair: Viorela Dan (University of Innsbruck)
1. Fear and Loathing in Eastern Europe. Framing and Agenda Setting of Foreign Affairs in Czech, Polish, and Romanian Sputnik News (2017-2022) – An Analysis of Headlines
Radu Meza & Andreea Mogos (Babes-Bolyai University)
2. Crises, Insecurities, and Anger: Contextualizing Political Values on Australian, British, and German TV Talk Shows
Kostiantyn Yanchenko ( Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena); Hendrik Meyer (University of Hamburg)
3. Hashtag Agenda Setting? An Analysis of Agenda-Setting between Twitter, Telegram, and Instagram Using Large Language Models during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Hossein Kermani (University of Vienna)
4. Influencer Content Drives Asymmetric Partisan Messaging in the 2024 U.S. Election
Christian Pipal, Morgan C. Wack & Frank Esser (University of Zurich)
5. Group Pressure? The Dynamics of Party Competition over Social Identities
Marvin Stecker, Fabienne Lind, Hajo G. Boomgaarden & markus Wagner (University of Vienna)

09.00 am – 10.30 pm: Panel IV, Session C | (Dis)Trust, Well-being & Argument Diversity
Seminar room 3
Chair: Edda Humprecht (University of Jena)
1. Institutional Trust from the Perspective of Elites: How Much Trust Do Politicians and Journalists Feel They Deserve?
Nayla Fawzi, Alina Jakob & Juliane Keilmann (Johannes Gutenberg U Mainz)
2. Trust Me, I Cite Science: How Political Communication Drawing on Science Affects Message Credibility
Daniel Wiesner, Andrea Stockinger, Jakob-Moritz Eberl & Sophie Lecheler (University of Vienna)
3. Using the News You Don’t Trust: How Audiences Explain Their Exposure to Mainstream News They Distrust
Ayala Panievsky (City University of London); Yossi David (Ben-Gurion University); Yariv Tsfati (Haifa University)
4. Well-Being through Selection, Avoidance, and Disconnection? The Role of Information Management Strategies in the Face of News Overload
Anne Schulz & Sophia C. Volk (University of Zurich)
5. Triggering Reflective Thinking or Creating Backlash? How Experiencing Diverse Argument Exposure Directly and Indirectly Affects Political Tolerance in the Context of Climate Action
Quirin Ryffel (University of Zurich); Thomas Zerback (Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf)

09.00 am – 10.30 pm: Panel IV, Session D | Communication strategies in Serbia’s protest movement (full panel submission)
Seminar room 5
Chair: Emilija Gagrčin (University of Mannheim)
Participants: Igor Išpanović (University of Belgrade) & tba

10.30 - 11.00 am: Coffee Break

11.00 am – 12.30 pm: Panel V

11.00 am – 12.30 pm: Panel V, Session A | Politics, Visuals & Emotions
Seminar room 1
Chair: Anders Olof Larsson (Kristiania University of Applied Sciences)
1. Instagram Stories in 2024 U.S. Presidential Elections: Ephemeral Visual Communication Strategies by Leaders and Parties
Antonio Martella (University of Turin); Cristopher Cepernich (University of Turin); Alice Fubini (University of Bologna)
2. Visual Political Communication in the Platform Society: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Social Media Images of Italian Politicians in the 2024 European Elections Campaign
Edoardo Novelli (University of Rome (Tre)); Marco Solaroli (University of Bologna); Melissa Stolfi (University of Rome (Tre)); Emma Garzonio (University of Rome (Tre))
3. Feeling the Right Thing: Austrian Politicians and their Constant Struggle Over Emotional Capital
Dominik Hokamp, Sophie Lecheler & Folker Hanusch (University of Vienna)
4. Visual Emotions in Election Campaigns: Evidence From the 2024 Austrian National Election Campaign
Franz Reiter & Uta Russmann (University of Innsbruck)
5. Ephemeral Archive of Iranian Women Political Prisoners' Digital Narratives
Azadeh Shamsi (University of Vienna)

11.00 am – 12.30 pm: Panel V, Session B | Exposure to News & Political Messages
Seminar room 2
Chair: Delia Balaban (Babeş-Bolyai University)
1. Modalities Matter: A Linkage Analysis Investigating the Impact of Multi-Modal News Exposure on Political Perceptions and Preferences
Wies Ruyters; Rens Vliegenthart; Sanne Kruikemeier & Susan Vermeer (Wageningen University and Research)
2. Unraveling TikTok’s Role in the 2025 Federal German Elections with the Help of Data Donation
Jakob Ohme (Weizenbaum Institute); Lion Wedel (Weizenbaum Institute); Nico Pfiffner (University of Zürch); Thomas N. Friemel (University of Zürch)
3. Uncovering Exposure to Political Online Microtargeting: Which Users were Reached during the 2024 European Election on Facebook and Instagram?
Hanna Paulke (Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz); Simon Kruschinski (Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz); Marcus Maurer (Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz); Ruben Renz (University of Hohenheim); Sabine Trepte (University of Hohenheim) 
4. An Analysis of Misreporting of TV Election Debate Viewing Using 'Digital Fingerprints' - Motivational Factors, Satisficing, or Memory Biases?
Ondřej Novotný (Charles University); Lukáš Linek (Czech Academy of Sciences)
5. Political News Consumption Patterns Among Voters in Iceland: Tracking Daily Changes Leading up to Election Day
Jón Gunnar Ólafsson & Hafsteinn Einarsson (University of Iceland)

11.00 am – 12.30 pm: Panel V, Session C | Looking Back & Forward in Political Communication Research
Seminar room 3
Chair: Michael Bossetta (Lund University)
1. Mapping the Evolution of Political Communication Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scopus-Indexed Publications (2000–2019)
Norbert Merkovity (University of Szeged)
2. What Citizens in the U.S. and UK Know About Media Regulation and Why It Matters 
Erik P. Bucy (Texas Tech University); Julie Firmstone (University of Leeds)
3. Twitch - A New Player in the Political Arena? A Topic Modeling Approach to Political Content on Twitch.tv
Antonia Wurm, Maria F. Grub & Julian Kauk (Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena)
4. Political Identity and Visibility: Comparing Self-presentation Strategies Across TikTok User Categories
Cristina Monzer (Annenberg School for Communication)

12.30 - 13.30 pm:  Lunch Break

13.30 - 14.30 pm:  Political Communication Section Business Meeting

14.30 – 16.00 pm: Panel VI

14.30 – 16.00 pm: Panel VI, Session A | Populism & Democratic Erosion
Seminar room 1
Chair: Agnieszka Stępińska (Adam Mickiewicz University)
1. Automated Analysis of Media Coverage and Political Discourse in the 2024 Romanian Elections
Andreea Stancea, Raluca Buturoiu & Nicoleta Corbu (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration)
2. Susceptibility to Foreign Political Narratives and Electoral Behavior: Evidence from Regional Elections in Germany
Edda Humprecht, Maria Grub, Kostiantyn Yanchenko & Carolin Ziemer (Unievrsity of Jena)
3. Digital (Emotional) Voter: Analyzing TikTok Comments on the 2024 Romanian Presidential Candidates
Valentin Lazureanu & Andreea Stancea (National University of Political Studies and Public Administration)
4. Unpacking the Communicative Dimensions of Democratic Erosion: A Comparative Political Communication Framework 
Jesper Strömbäck (University of Gothenburg); Frank Esser (University of Zurich); Ana Sofia Cardenal (Universitat Oberta de Catalunya); Peter van Aelst (University of Antwerp); James Stanyer (University of Loughborough); Yannis Theocharis (Technical University of Munich)

14.30 – 16.00 pm: Panel VI, Session B| News Consumption & Sharing
Seminar room 2
Chair: Franz Reiter (University of Innsbruck)
1. Blushing to Comment? Introversion, Conflict Avoidance, Social Interaction Anxiety, and their Impact on Social Media-based Local and National News Consumption and Political Engagement
Virág Bagi & Márton Bene (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences)
2. Personal and Platform Factors in Political Communication on Messaging Apps: Evidence from Germany
Olga Pasitselska (University of Groningen); Emilija Gagrcin (University of Mannheim); Teresa K. Naab (University of Mannheim); Dominic Resch (University of Mannheim)
3. Scroll, laugh, learn: Political Memes as Catalysts for Active Information-Seeking
Martina Paulenová & Alena Kluknavská (Masaryk University)
4. From Virtue to Nuisance: Critical Junctures in Cross-Platform News Sharing
Emilija Gagrcin (University of Mannheim)
5. The Temporal Dynamics of News Engagement: Patterns of Avoidance on Social Media
Krisztina Burai & Márton Bene (HUN-REN Centre for Social Sciences)  

14.30 – 16.00 pm: Panel VI, Session C| Gender(ed) Information & Communication
Seminar room 3
Chair: Martin Senn (University of Innsbruck)
1. Breaking the Mold or Fitting the Frame? The Impact of Politician’s Gender-conforming and Counter-stereotypic Online Self-representation on Voter Evaluations
Elise Storme (Ghent University); Robin Devroe (Vrije Universiteit Brussel); Bram Wauters (Ghent University)
2. What About Men? Conceptualizing the Multiple Dimensions of Gendered Disinformation
Martha Stolze (Weizenbaum Institute, Free University Berlin); Marília Gehrke (University of Groningen)
3. Navigating Visibility and Vulnerability: Iranian Feminist Digital Activism Under Constraint
Mitra Shamsi (Center for Advanced Internet Studies, Bochum)
4. Gender and Speech-making – How Women Claim Their Space in Government Press Conferences
Sarah C. Dingler, Lore Hayek & Fiona Nordone (University of Innsbruck)

16.00 pm Farewell Drinks