Comparing Contexts: Diverse Methodological Approaches in Comparative Research

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The sub-field of Comparative Political Communication is still a burgeoning one. Yet, the expansion of the fields work beyond one nation offers exciting possibilities. This panel is designed to demonstrate that, rather than acting as a limiting force, causing scholars angst, comparative work allows the field to grow in important ways.
The papers on this panel all employ data from more than one nation, yet the methodological approaches are quite divergent. In a survey study by Norwegian scholars, Enjolras, Kushner Gadarian and Steen-Johnsen they investigate how citizens in France, Finland, Norway, Spain and the United States utilize social media to inform themselves about unfolding terrorism events as well as cope with fear about the attacks. Jones’ content analysis examines cross-national media coverage of the Greek financial crisis, in an effort to better understand the interaction of the globalized media and policy environments. In a cross national organizational analysis, Karp’s work represents a unique opportunity to study organized online political mobilization in cross-national perspective. Finally, Vaccari and Valeriani present innovative theories on the factors shaping political dual screening and investigates them based an eight-country comparative research design.
Through bringing together this variety of international scholars who approach their work with differing methods, but operate in the comparative environment, the hope is to show that comparative work can be viewed as a resource. Additionally, by expanding the geographic field, Political Communication remains more relevant in the world of ubiquitous globalization.

Sub Unit

• Political Communication

Chair

• Kate Zambon, U of Pennsylvania

Individual Presentations

• Social Media Use and Fear Levels After the Paris 2015 Attacks: A Comparative Study - Kari Steen-Johnsen, Institute for Social Research, Oslo, Norway; Bernard Enjolras, Institute for Social Research, Oslo, Norway; Shana Kushner Gadarian, Syracuse U

• The New Infrastructure of Cross-National Activism - David Karpf, George Washington U

• Dual Screening in Comparative Perspective: Media Systems, Motivations, and Partisanship in Eight Western Democracies - Cristian Vaccari, U of Bologna & Royal Holloway; Augusto Valeriani, U of Bologna

• Not Just a “Greek” Chorus: A Comparative Study of the Transnational Media Coverage of the 2015 Greek Financial Crisis - Abigail Lynn Jones, Philadelphia U

Respondent

• Daniel C. Hallin, U of California, San Diego