1. Political Engagement, the Internet and Elections

Welcome to season two of Exploring Global Problems. In this episode, Associate Professor in Politics Dr Matt Wall, Associate Professor in Media and Communication Dr Richard Thomas, and Professor of Politics Jonathan Bradbury discuss their work on political engagement, the internet and public opinion, devolution, and whether reporting of political issues is helping citizens to make informed decisions at the ballot box. Dr Wall’s expertise is the intersection of the internet and electoral politics, including online campaigning, the emergence of ‘vote advice’ websites, and political gambling. He also researches sub-national political parties, with a particular focus on how they are responding to the challenges posed by Brexit to the UK’s devolution settlement. Dr Thomas’s research concerns political communication, alt-media and the coverage of elections. He is the co-author of “Reporting Elections: Rethinking the Logic of Campaign Coverage”. His interests include the degree to which citizens are served by both mainstream and alternative media. Professor Bradbury’s research focuses on the territorial politics of how the UK is governed, relating both to devolved and local government. His interests include the quality of regional democracy, principally in relation to the UK and Wales.