Just how much did the 2026 Senedd election transform Welsh politics? New analysis from Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament captures the scale of May’s change. 🔗 tinyurl.com/2s3p27z9 #polsky #politics #politicalcommunication #journalismstudies

May 7, 2026: The election that transformed the Senedd

Mark Mansfield The seismic changes to Welsh politics brought about by May’s Senedd election have been revealed in a detailed analysis of the results. More than two-thirds of the 96 politicians elected...

tinyurl.com

Are opinion polls helping us understand elections or determining how elections are talked about? This article by @danielcaseycbr.bsky.social examines the prominence of polling & horse-race journalism in Australia. 🔗 tinyurl.com/3ssthx2m #journalismstudies #politicalcommunication #polsky

Are there too many political polls? We are in glut – and it may be about to get worse

Australia has more polls than ever. Research shows poll-focused media coverage increases public cynicism and damages political debate.

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Hi #ica26. We have an open 4.5 yr Postdoc position @weizenbauminstitut.bsky.social Berlin in PolComm/Comp Social Scienes on opinion dynamics in climate topics. Hit me up if you want a to talk about it in CT or send to colleagues who might be interested. www.weizenbaum-institut.de/news/detail/...

EXCL: Andy Burnham’s first broadcast interview since confirming he’d join any potential Labour leadership contest • is ‘sympathetic’ to reversing the gov’s NI rise for employers • asked why he believes he’d be a better PM than Keir Starmer says ‘I’m not getting into that’ 1/2 👇

Both maxwellmodell.bsky.social and @perkinskeighley.bsky.social doing a great job of presenting our Cardiff uni research on 2026 media election coverage in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 and 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 including initiating a debate amongst students on the role and value of vox pops and explainers across social media 👇

Fascinating reflections by @jaclarner.bsky.social on understanding of voting system in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 & how people may have cast their vote: “While the introduction of more focus and effort on analysing public opinion in Wales is a good thing, the range of polling and these MRP estimates was often confusing.”

Jac Larner@jaclarner.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Two weeks on from the Senedd election, here are a few reflections on what actually happened and what it might mean for the next four years. Thread. 🧵 jaclarner.github.io/jaclarner/bl...

Interesting our research prompting new political debates about whether the media focus on 2-🐎 race shaped the electoral outcome of the Senedd election. Post election survey research urgently needed 🚨 👇

NationCymru@nation.cymru · 4mo ago

The public understanding of the new system remained limited with the system not understood by most of those I talked to ✍️Mike Hedges MS

Excellent summary of our media election research here 👇 including on the 🔥topic of vox pops with @mattwalshjourno.bsky.social @maxwellmodell.bsky.social @perkinskeighley.bsky.social

NationCymru@nation.cymru · 4mo ago

Research carried out at Cardiff University has confirmed that UK-wide TV news gave limited attention to May's elections in Wales, Scotland and England, often treating them as second order contests ✍️Martin Shipton

Good to see our research on vox pops generating a debate - but we don’t argue they should be banned!

The National@scotnational.bsky.social · 4mo ago

Broadcasters are failing to challenge politicians when they rely too heavily on vox pops, a new study has found 👇

Great summary of our 2026 media election research 🗳️ 📺 👇

Dr Keighley Perkins@perkinskeighley.bsky.social · 4mo ago

We’re pleased to share a new report from the Enhancing the Impartiality of Political News project, examining UK- & Wales-based media coverage of the 2026 Senedd, Holyrood & English local elections. 🔗 canva.link/reporting-uk... 🧵👇 #journalismstudies #impartiality #impartialityproject

We’re pleased to share a new report from the Enhancing the Impartiality of Political News project, examining UK- & Wales-based media coverage of the 2026 Senedd, Holyrood & English local elections. 🔗 canva.link/reporting-uk... 🧵👇 #journalismstudies #impartiality #impartialityproject

Our new Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture election research featured in the Guardian 👇

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 4mo ago

Broadcasters too reliant on vox pop interviews and failing to challenge politicians, says study

‘… and now, are broadcasters too reliant on vox pops? We went out onto the street to ask some passers-by’ www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Broadcasters too reliant on vox pop interviews and failing to challenge politicians, says study

Researchers also question whether UK’s impartiality rules allow for proper scrutiny in era of multiparty politics

theguardian.com

Delighted to see the Enhancing the Impartiality of Political News project contribute to a major new report on the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. 🧵👇 🔗 tinyurl.com/yvpsj2hc #Holyrood #Senedd #elections #journalism #journalismstudies

From the outset, Plaid Cymru and Reform UK used campaign slogans that presented the Senedd election as a direct battle between the two parties. But, held under the new proportional voting system, the election couldn’t have been further from a two-horse race

A new voting system meant the Welsh election couldn’t have been further from a two‑horse race – so why was it portrayed as one?

Stephen Cushion, Professor, Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University, Keighley Perkins, Research Associate School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University; Swans...

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Our new Cardiff University research on how the media covered the Senedd election featured here 👇

The Conversation UK@uk.theconversation.com · 4mo ago

Polls and projections increasingly framed the Senedd election as a contest between two parties.

Wales just held its first Senedd election under a new proportional voting system. But did the media treat the electoral contest as a two-horse race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK? Our new research systematically examines campaign news coverage 👀🧵 theconversation.com/a-new-voting...

A new voting system meant the Welsh election couldn’t have been further from a two-horse race – so why was it portrayed as one?

Polls and projections increasingly framed the Senedd election as a contest between two parties.

theconversation.com

In a new article @stephencushion.bsky.social, @maxwellmodell.bsky.social & myself examine how polling and campaign messaging interacted to frame the contest as a battle between Plaid Cymru & Reform UK. 🔗 tinyurl.com/3f2sy2sv #impartiality #impartialityproject #journalismstudies #seneddelection

A new voting system meant the Welsh election couldn’t have been further from a two-horse race - so why was it portrayed as one?

Polls and projections increasingly framed the Senedd election as a contest between two parties.

theconversation.com

Wales just held its first Senedd election under a new proportional voting system. But did the media treat the electoral contest as a two-horse race between Plaid Cymru and Reform UK? Our new research systematically examines campaign news coverage 👀🧵 theconversation.com/a-new-voting...

A new voting system meant the Welsh election couldn’t have been further from a two-horse race – so why was it portrayed as one?

Polls and projections increasingly framed the Senedd election as a contest between two parties.

theconversation.com

Our new Cardiff University media election research featured below 👇

NationCymru@nation.cymru · 4mo ago

Broadcasters covering the Senedd election broadly allocated similar levels of coverage to all six major parties, but did not consistently challenge the depth or credibility of competing claims, a Cardiff University study has concluded ✍️Martin Shipton nation.cymru/news/how-imp...

No need to perceive coverage; you can read our systematic assessment of all coverage of parties in 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 elections - see our latest Senedd study here: www.enhancingimpartiality.com/blog/imparti...

How impartial was news coverage of the Senedd election campaign? — Researching the impartiality of political news

Our analysis found that broadcasters broadly allocated similar levels of coverage to all six major parties. But in prioritising breadth of party‑political perspectives, we found reporting did not cons...

enhancingimpartiality.com

Fair Political Coverage - we want to hear from ALL our parties@fairpoliticsnow.bsky.social · 5mo ago

Hey all, now we’re in purdah - which means the broadcasters HAVE to give (by law) coverage to all the parties with significant numbers contesting the local elections in England and the Scottish & Welsh Parliament elections. Let us know what you perceive because they’ll still find ways to spin.

Really pleased to share our latest piece from the Impartiality project at @cujournmedcul.bsky.social, looking at how broadcasters are covering the Senedd election in an increasingly digital media environment. 🔗 tinyurl.com/2nyuy3wz 🧵👇 #journalism #impartiality #journalismstudies #socialmedia

Welsh broadcasters target voters with digital election coverage

From explainers to quickfire interviews, digital coverage is transforming the Senedd campaign coverage.

tinyurl.com

After the first official week of the Senedd election campaign, a new analysis suggests that while broadcasters are reporting party activity, they are offering limited scrutiny of the pledges and promises being made wp.me/p8Mk4U-1jt7

Anyone working in history of comedy/satire, television, modern British politics - there's a fully funded PhD to research the Spitting Image archive @theul.bsky.social, with supervision at Exeter Uni. All disciplines considered, pls do share widely. www.exeter.ac.uk/study/fundin...

Obviously, I might end up looking very stupid! But here goes anyway... From me on the Senedd election campaign so far. nation.cymru/opinion/wher...

Where’s Reform? The 2026 Senedd election campaign so far

Richard Wyn Jones I hate to have to admit it, but devolved election campaigns tend to be rather dull affairs. I’m not even convinced that they make much of a difference either. The overwhelming majori...

nation.cymru

Want to understand the collapse of Labour in Wales? And the Senedd elections more broadly? Take 6 or 7 minutes to watch this report. (#the implosion of the electorally most successful party in the democratic world.) www.channel4.com/news/wales-e...

Wales elections: what can we expect ahead of the polls?

Wales will elect a new and expanded Senedd in three weeks time, there will be 96 new members rather than the current 60.

channel4.com

Broadcasters are covering the Senedd campaign, but new analysis suggests many party claims are going largely unchallenged.

Limited scrutiny of party claims in early Welsh election coverage – new analysis

Broadcasters are covering the Senedd campaign, but new analysis suggests many party claims are going largely unchallenged.

tcnv.link

Adroddiad etholiad y Senedd gan Channel 4 News gyda ein ymchwilwyr / @channel4news.bsky.social news report about the Welsh Parliament election with our researchers: Profs @richardwynjones.bsky.social, @lauramcallister30.bsky.social, and Dr @jaclarner.bsky.social 👇 www.channel4.com/news/wales-e...

Wales elections: what can we expect ahead of the polls?

Wales will elect a new and expanded Senedd in three weeks time, there will be 96 new members rather than the current 60.

channel4.com

Social media leaders from major platforms including Meta, Snap, YouTube, TikTok & X met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at Downing Street yesterday to discuss how children can be better protected online. 🔗 tinyurl.com/39et8d3z 🧵👇 #DRAGON #onlinesafety #onlineharms #socialmediaban

Starmer tells social media firms: ‘Things can’t go on like this’

PM demands real world changes in Downing Street meeting with senior figures from Meta, TikTok, Google and X

tinyurl.com

Our new research examining election coverage in Wales so far 👀

The Conversation UK@uk.theconversation.com · 5mo ago

Broadcasters are covering the Senedd campaign, but new analysis suggests many party claims are going largely unchallenged.