Central European Journal of Communication

Geographical Proximity of War as a Catalyst for Variations in the Frequencies of Emotional Appeals in Pre-Election Debates

Konrad Kiljan, Barbara Konat — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Appealing to fear was widely believed to be a rhetorical strategy behind the last decade’s successes of populists. Recent empirical studies, however, show that this perception has been oversimplified. highlighting that emotional appeals are frequently used by politicians across the spectrum and that their distribution is shaped by multiple factors. Our study contributes to this field by introducing another dimension: proximity to war. We hypothesize that politicians in countries bordering a militarily aggressive neighbor would aim to evoke different emotions than their peers running for office in countries distant from it. To validate this hypothesis, we employed a Large Language Model (GPT-4) to assess emotional appeals in pre-election debates in six European countries (Estonia, Poland, Finland, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands). Our results confirm that appeals to fear dominate debates in countries close to conflict, while appeals to anger prevail in those more distant from it. Consequently, studies on populism and political communication in general, should consider conflict proximity as a crucial variable.

Broadening the Field of View and Increasing Pressure: Polish Journalists on the Roles of Social Media during the War in Ukraine

Agnieszka Szymańska — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Abstract: War is a time of significantly increased demand for information and difficult access to verified data. The example of the ongoing war in Ukraine illustrates the importance of the media as an information source, particularly social media, its roles, and how it can be utilized by various types of actors. The article analyzes the significance of social media in the work of professional journalists in covering the war in Ukraine. The article uses the perspective of Polish journalists, based on the results of in-depth interviews (IDI) conducted in May 2022, after the opening period of the conflict, to present the argument.

The Role of (Social) Media News in Shaping Romanian Voters’ Support for Populist versus Mainstream Parties

Andreea Stancea, Nicoleta Corbu — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

This study builds on research exploring how media exposure and conspiracy beliefs
shape support for populist movements, addressing a gap in analyses comparing populist and
mainstream parties in Romania. Using an original dataset from an online panel survey conducted by Kantar/Lightspeed with 1,500 respondents, the paper examines predictors of vote intention for both the radical right Alianța pentru Unirea Românilor (AUR) and the mainstream Partidul Social Democrat (PSD). Results show that social media news consumption is associated not only with AUR support but also with left-wing PSD support. These findings suggest that, in Romania, PSD and AUR share similar voter profiles, highlighting the unique overlap between left – and right-wing populist appeal.

Echoes of the People: Unveiling Populist Constructs in Chega and Vox’s Discourse on Elites

Tiago Lapa — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The following paper draws from the social constructionist approach (Burr 2015) and social identity theory (Tajfel, 1974) to analyze the populist discursive frameworks in the Facebook accounts of populist far-right parties Chega (Portugal) and Vox (Spain) during January‑March 2023. The aim is to demonstrate how country-based contexts affect and shape discursive constructions of the elites. Methodologically, this paper follows the discourse historical approach (Wodak, 2001) to critical discourse analysis. The results show that although both parties’ constructions of “the people” are identical, the same does not concern the elites, as Vox’s characterization of this group encompasses environmentalists, the media, feminists, trans people, and separatists. Neither Vox nor Chega places immigrants as part of either group but as a sub-group that is protected by the elites, with Chega adding the Roma ethnic minority to the same predicament.

Post-migrant Voices in German and Swedish Podcasts

Heike Graf, Jessica Gustafsson — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

In the early 2020s, a quarter of the population in both Germany and Sweden had a migrant background. Post-migrants are increasingly claiming the right to participate in the public sphere by producing their own media, which mainstream media (MSM) rarely recognize. This study used the theoretical concept of voice and listening to analyze German and Swedish podcasts that deal with issues of life in a post-migrant society. Which frames are privileged in these podcasts? How do corporate media respond to these media productions? Through the generic frames of human interest and responsibility, the podcasters draw attention to the living conditions of marginalized people, which they argue have an impact on society as a whole. In particular, the recurring theme of racism in society has provoked a certain response from the mainstream media, i.e. the inclusion of these issues in media coverage and the podcasters in MSM production.

The Right to Information in Poland in the Context of Political Influence

Alicja Jaskiernia, Lucyna Szot — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The article addresses the issue of the media’s access to public information in the context of their informational and monitoring roles vis-à-vis those in power. The hypothesis is that the normative framework in Poland was not a sufficient guarantor of such access for the media and journalists because, in practice, the authorities did not implement the statutory legal requirements in terms of providing access to public information. The case study method used in the article enables the authors to show that the barriers to access to information in recent years are mainly due to the instrumental treatment of information policy as an effective tool of governance and the perception of the media as a competitor in the creation of the public narrative.

Cultural Audiovisual Heritage for the Public Good and European Competitiveness

Jacek Mikucki — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

On January 22, 2025, a workshop titled "Cultural Audiovisual Heritage for the Public Good and European Competitiveness" was held to discuss the film and media industry. The workshop aimed to explore how various European film markets operate, focusing on film policy-making and the role of public institutions in supporting the film industry.

Three publications nominated for the Media and Democracy Karol Jakubowicz Award 2025

Dagmara Sidyk-Furman; Michał Głowacki — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Publications by scholars from Europe which are nominated for 2025 Edition of the Media and Democracy Karol Jakubowicz Award.

Katalin Feher (2025). Generative AI, Media, and Society. Routledge, 192 pp., ISBN: 9781032968735

Urszula Soler — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Václav Štětka & Sabina Mihelj (2024). The Illiberal Public Sphere: Media in Polarized Societies, Palgrave Macmillan, 278 pp, ISBN: 9783031544897, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-54489-7

Mateusz Patera — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Evelina Kristanova, Rafał Habielski, Małgorzata Such‑Pyrgiel (Eds.) (2024). Politics and the Media in Poland from the 19th to the 21st Centuries. Selected Issues. Brill, Leiden/Boston, 324 pp. ISBN: 9789004687998

Magdalena Hodalska — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

Editors' Introduction

Michał Głowacki; Agnieszka Stępińska — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

The Roundtable: Media Capture and Cultural Polarisation

Dagmara Sidyk-Furman, Filip Świtkowski — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0100

A transcript of selected ideas articulated during the civic roundtable debate titled Media Capture and Cultural Polarisation, which was held on 23 January 2025 at the TV Studio of the Faculty of Journalism, Information and Book Studies, located in the University of Warsaw Library.