Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 3h

Trots op het werk van onze studenten! 🎓

Waarom zijn sommige partijleden actiever dan anderen?

Vier van onze studenten BPM onderzochten dit vorig semester voor het vak ‘Samenleving en Politiek’. Dit leverde hen de prijs op voor beste paper 🥇

Lees meer: gasparblogt.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/w...

Waarom sommige partijleden actiever zijn dan anderen

Deze blogpost is een herwerkte versie van de paper van Hannelore Huyghe, Andreas De Coninck, Camille Goeminne en Lara Reyskens. Bachelorstudenten Bestuurskunde en Publiek Management aan de Universi…

gasparblogt.wordpress.com

2 2

Reposted by Elise Storme

NeFCA Political Communication @nefcapolcom.bsky.social · 8h

Thanks to everyone who joined our inaugural PolCom Classics webinar with @rensvliegenthart.bsky.social !
🎥 The recording’s up on YouTube — see flyer for details.

Next up: @solecheler.bsky.social on Framing, now on Nov 6, from 12:00 - 13:00 CET.

📲 Register via the QR code or the link below

1 2 3

Reposted by Elise Storme

Political Studies Review @psrjournal.bsky.social · 7d

🚨New Online First Article!🚨

From Marginalized to Mainstream? An International Comparative Analysis of Gender Differences in Social Media Adoption and Activity by Politicians in Non-Election Times

By @elisestorme.bsky.social

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

@polstudiesassoc.bsky.social

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

2 3

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

The broader goal: to map how gender shapes political communication on social media - from who posts, to what they post, to how citizens respond. Stay tuned! 🚀

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

This paper is only the first step. Next up:

🔎 A content analysis of 250,000+ social media posts → do women & men post differently?
🧪 A survey experiment with AI-generated images → how do voters react to different communication styles?

1 2

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

Taken together, our findings complicate sweeping claims that digital media either flatten or entrench power hierarchies. In routine times, Twitter/X does not widen gender gaps, but neither does it dramatically close them.

1

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

Results (unexpected!):

❌ No significant gender differences
❌ No systematic cross-country variation

Do two forces cancel each other out? Equalization (women gain access) vs. Normalization (established actors’ resources & algorithms) + hostile online environments may still deter women’s activity.

1 1

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

Hypotheses:

▶️Women politicians are more likely to adopt
▶️Women politicians are more active users
▶️Gender gaps are larger in countries where women hold less political power

1

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

📊 The data: 1,246 MPs in Finland, Belgium, Germany & Ireland → 4 countries with different levels of political power for women

I collected whether each MP had a Twitter/X account and measured their activity (Tweets, Quote Tweets and reactions) for the whole year of 2022.

1

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

Unlike most studies (which focus on campaigns), I looked at non-election times - the everyday politics that shape reputations & long-term visibility.

1

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

Why this matters:

Traditional media & party gatekeepers restrict women’s visibility. Social media has been hailed as a possible equalizer. But does it really level the playing field?

1

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · 13d

🚀🎉 Thrilled to share that the first paper of my PhD dissertation is now published in Political Studies Review: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Does social media help women politicians overcome barriers in visibility - or does it just replicate old hierarchies?

A short 🧵

From Marginalized to Mainstream? An International Comparative Analysis of Gender Differences in Social Media Adoption and Activity by Politicians in Non-Election Times - Elise Storme, 2025

Traditional media and party gatekeepers are found to restrict women's visibility and influence in politics. Social media, however, is seen as a potential m...

journals.sagepub.com

1 7 19

Reposted by Elise Storme

NeFCA Political Communication @nefcapolcom.bsky.social · 23d

🚨 REMINDER 🚨

Register for the PolCom Classics kickoff with @rensvliegenthart.bsky.social on connections and frictions between political science and communication science - Thu, Sept 25, 12:00–13:00 CEST.

🔗 Joining link will be sent on Wednesday.

NeFCA Political Communication @nefcapolcom.bsky.social · Sep 8

📢 Launching this fall: PolCom Classics!

A monthly online webinar where leading scholars revisit “classic” themes in political communication - mis/disinfo, framing, digitalization & more.

🗓 Every last Thu, 12–13 CET

First session: Sept 25 w/ @rensvliegenthart.bsky.social.

@nefca.bsky.social

2 2

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Sep 8

🎉 New webinar series! 🎉

🗓️ Every last Thursday of the month. Join us for the first one on September 25th.

More information and (free) registration link below 👇

NeFCA Political Communication @nefcapolcom.bsky.social · Sep 8

📢 Launching this fall: PolCom Classics!

A monthly online webinar where leading scholars revisit “classic” themes in political communication - mis/disinfo, framing, digitalization & more.

🗓 Every last Thu, 12–13 CET

First session: Sept 25 w/ @rensvliegenthart.bsky.social.

@nefca.bsky.social

2

Reposted by Elise Storme

NeFCA Political Communication @nefcapolcom.bsky.social · Sep 5

🚀 We’re live!

The Political Communication Division of @nefca.bsky.social is now on BlueSky. Follow us for updates on research, events, and conversations in the PolCom community.

1 8 8

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Aug 27

At #ecprgc25? Don’t miss “Threats to Democratic Institutions and Political Representatives” - featuring not one but two papers from the sexism project!

❓Why isn’t sexism as easy to detect as we think?
❓How does it shape candidates’ campaign experiences?

Friday at 15:45, Law Building - Room: 312

Emilie van Haute @emilievh.bsky.social · Aug 26

Our new paper on the normalisation of sexism in politics is presented at the #ecprgc25 by our brilliant co-author @clemencedeswert.bsky.social 🎤

📊Drawing on nearly 44,000 social media reactions and interviews with 21 women candidates in the 2024 Belgian elections, we explore how sexism persists -

1 3

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Jun 25

✈️ Arrived in Madrid for #EPSA to talk about gendered online communication strategies and how we used AI-generated pictures to measure their effect on voter evaluations.

📍 You’ll find me in the panel “Gender and Political Communication” on Thursday at 16.50 in Room 0A.06.

Come and say hi! #EPSA2025

19

Reposted by Elise Storme

Politics of the Low Countries @plc-journal.bsky.social · Jun 18

📝Check out this article by @elisestorme.bsky.social @gasparugent.bsky.social "Hard Worker versus Pretty Eyes"
🔗Available in #OpenAccess in Politics of the Low Countries (Vol. 5 No. 3) at: plc-journal.eu/article/view...

#OpenPublishing #PoliticalScience

2 3

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Jun 12

This was a great course, Amélie! Really learned a lot 😊

1 1

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Jun 4

📣 GASPAR is looking for two new colleagues!

Interested in research on socio-demographic cues to estimate politicians' ideological positions or losers' consent in the context of salient policy decisions?

More information below 👇

Bram Wauters @bramwauters.bsky.social · Jun 4

🚨 We have two vacancies for PhD fellows:

- on ideological stereotypes supervised by me and
@robindevroe.bsky.social www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...

- on losers' consent supervised by @annakern.bsky.social
www.ugent.be/en/work/scie...

Join research group @gasparugent.bsky.social in beautiful Ghent

3

Reposted by Elise Storme

GASPAR UGent @gasparugent.bsky.social · May 28

➡️Save the date!⬅️

Interested in political violence, party dynamics and democratic norms? 👀 On 11 June, research group Gaspar has the pleasure to welcome prof. dr. @alessandronai.bsky.social for our Gaspar lecture series!

All are welcome! Registration link 👇

1 1 8

Reposted by Elise Storme

GASPAR UGent @gasparugent.bsky.social · Apr 16

🌎 Five of our researchers are taking their research across borders in 2025. Some have already started their stays abroad, while others will be heading out later this year.

👇 Want to know more?

1 2 9

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Mar 24

Any questions? Reach out to us!

@merelfieremans.bsky.social, @annevanbavel.bsky.social, @margotthewis.bsky.social

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Mar 24

📢 1 Week left! Call for Abstracts📢

Deadline for #PolEtmaal2025 is fast approaching!

Are you working on gender, representation, or democratic processes? Join us in Groningen for the upcoming PolEtmaal, work-in-progress welcome!

Submit your abstract here: politicologenetmaal.eu/call-for-pap...

1 5 6

Elise Storme @elisestorme.bsky.social · Mar 13

Very happy that we were able to contribute to the Gendering Democracy Series for International Women's Day by showcasing part of our study on online and offline sexism during the 2024 elections.

Results on the consequences and a call for action 👇

The Loop @ecprtheloop.bsky.social · Mar 13

🌈 #GenderingDemocracy No.26
♀️ #IWD25
🗳️ A study by @hildecoffe.bsky.social & colleagues on the 2024 legislative elections in Belgium reveals how sexist attacks, stereotypes & dismissals are damaging careers of women candidates, silencing their voices & discouraging future leaders.
👉 bit.ly/41J1inT

🌈 Sexism in politics: a barrier to women’s representation

Sexism in politics restricts women’s participation and weakens democracy. A study by Hilde Coffé and colleagues on the 2024 legislative elections in Belgium reveals the impact of sexist attacks, stere...

bit.ly

1 6