About the Symposium
The symposium marks a moment of reflection on the development and future of “International & Comparative Media Research” at the University of Zurich. It uses this moment not as a retrospective tribute, but as an opportunity to discuss the development and future of international comparative communication research.
The programme brings together three strands that have shaped Frank Esser’s work and the international profile of the Department of Communication and Media Research at the University of Zurich: comparative political communication, the study and measurement of political information environments, and the communicative conditions of democratic erosion and democratic resilience.
Across four panels, invited scholars will discuss how comparative political communication has developed as a field, how political information environments can be conceptualised and measured, and how media and communication research can contribute to understanding democratic vulnerability and resilience in changing information environments.
Programme
09:15–10:30: Panel A: The Field and Its Development
Comparative Political Communication Revisited
This panel discusses the development of comparative political communication research over the past two decades, its conceptual and methodological contributions, and its future direction.
Chair: Sven Engesser, Technische Universität Dresden
Panelists:
Barbara Pfetsch, Freie Universität Berlin
Paolo Mancini, University of Perugia
Cristian Vaccari, University of Edinburgh
Edda Humprecht, University of Jena
10:30–11:00: Coffee Break
11:00–12:15: Panel B: Current Frontier
Political Information Environments and Indexing
This panel addresses how political information environments can be conceptualised, compared across countries, and assessed empirically through indicators and indexes.
Chair: Anne Schulz, University of Zurich
Panelists:
Peter Van Aelst, University of Antwerp
Brigitte Seim, University of Minnesota
Phil Howard, University of Oxford / IPIE
Morgan Wack, University of Zurich
12:15–13:30: Lunch(Standing buffet)
13:30–14:45: Panel C: Applied Challenge
Political Information Environments, Democratic Erosion, and Democratic Resilience
This panel discusses the role of media, communication, and political information environments in processes of democratic erosion, democratic backsliding, and democratic resilience.
Chair: Ulrike Klinger, University of Amsterdam
Panelists:
Daniel Kreiss, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Václav Štětka, European University Viadrina
Jesper Strömbäck, University of Gothenburg
Patrícia Rossini, University of Glasgow
14:45–15:15: Coffee Break
15:15–16:35: Closing / Outlook Panel
Where Is Comparative Political Communication Heading?
The closing panel brings together the themes of the day and looks ahead to the future of international comparative political communication research.
Chair: Sina Blassnig, University of Fribourg
Panelists:
Claes de Vreese, University of Amsterdam & University of Southern Denmark
Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, University of Copenhagen
Daniel C. Hallin, University of California, San Diego
Laia Castro, University of Barcelona
16:35–16:45: Closing Reflections
Frank Esser, University of Zurich
16:45–16:55: Institutional Remarks
Thomas N. Friemel, Director of the Department of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich
From 17:00: Apéro Reception
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Photo, Audio, and Video Documentation
The event may be photographed and briefly filmed for documentation and communication purposes. Participants who do not wish to appear in public-facing photo or video material may indicate this during registration or contact the organisers in advance.
Support
The symposium is supported by the Hochschulstiftung of the University of Zurich.
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Registration
The symposium is open to registered participants. Participants will be asked to indicate whether they will attend lunch and/or the apéro reception, and to provide any dietary requirements or accessibility needs.
Participants may register for one of the following modules: