As part of the 76th Annual Conference of the International Communication Association (ICA), held in Cape Town, South Africa, from 4–8 June 2026 under the theme “Communication and Inequalities in Context,” the Polish Communication Association (PCA) hosted a partner panel entitled “Emotions, Trust, and Cultural Fragmentation: Rethinking Media and Politics in Transforming Democracies in Central and Eastern Europe and Beyond.”
he session was chaired by Damian Guzek (University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland), with Anders Olof Larsson (Kristiania University College, Norway) serving as discussant.
The panel brought together scholars presenting findings from international research projects conducted by teams from Poland, the Netherlands, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Kenya. The presentations addressed the emotional dimensions of political communication, trust in media and digital platforms, transformations in journalistic culture, and processes of social and cultural fragmentation. Among the speakers were Ulrike Klinger (University of Amsterdam), Monika Tosik (University of Lodz), and Damian Guzek (University of Silesia in Katowice).
The discussion focused on the challenges facing contemporary democracies, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, amid ongoing technological, political, and social transformations.
