Presenting at the PSA Media and Politics Group Annual Conference, LSE, December 12

Next week at the PSA Media and Politics Group Annual Conference at LSE we’ll be presenting our latest research on dual screening and engagement. 

The talk will be based on a forthcoming article—the second piece from our dual screening project—in volume 61 of The Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media: Chadwick, A., O'Loughlin, B. and Vaccari, C. ’Why People Dual Screen Political Debates and Why It Matters for Democratic Engagement.’ 

The article, which will feature in a special issue on dual screening edited by Homero Gil de Zúñiga, draws on a large social media dataset and panel survey we designed and gathered during the main 2015 UK general election ITV debate. It features some surprising findings about people’s motivations to engage in dual screening to influence others and how this boosts their long term cognitive engagement with the campaign, but it also identifies a motivations and influence divide and a significant gender gap. 

Here is the Abstract:

Dual screening during televised election debates is a new domain in which political elites and journalists seek to influence audience attitudes and behavior. But to what extent do non-elite dual screeners seek to influence others, particularly their social media followers, social media users in general, and even politicians and journalists? And how does this behavior affect short- and longer-term engagement with election campaigns? Using unique, event-based, panel survey data from the main 2015 UK general election debate (Wave 1=2,351; Wave 2=1,168) we reveal the conditions under which people experience agency, empowerment, and engagement now that social media have reconfigured broadcast political television.

Keywords
Dual Screening, Political Engagement, Agency, Influence, Television, Social Media, Political Debates

If you would like an advance copy, feel free to email me. 

Nick Anstead at LSE has put together a terrific programme, featuring keynotes from Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, Barbara Pfetsch, and Rachel Gibson. 

Cristian and I will be presenting in the panel “New Media Challenges,” on Monday at 4pm in Tower 2, Room TW2.2.03.