New Publications by James Dennis Examine Changing Forms of Political Participation and Youth Engagement
James Dennis, a researcher at the MeLCi Lab, has recently published two works exploring the evolving relationship among citizens, digital media, political communication, and youth engagement.
In the essay “From Passive to Active and Back Again? How Digital Media Has Transformed the Role of the Citizen in News and Political Communication”, published in Media & Jornalismo, Dennis examines how digital media have reshaped the role of citizens in news consumption and political communication. The article revisits the shift from the twentieth-century model of the “passive consumer” to the more participatory forms of engagement enabled by digital media. It argues that contemporary changes in social media use should not be understood as a return to passivity, but rather as a “private turn” characterized by participation through messaging applications and algorithmically curated content environments.
Publication:
https://doi.org/10.14195/2183-5462_48_9
Dennis has also contributed the chapter “From Participation to Consumption? Youth Engagement and ‘Parasocial Media’” to Scottish Parliament Election Analysis 2026: The Campaign, Voters and Policies. The chapter examines how young people increasingly engage with politics and public affairs through personalized and parasocial relationships with content creators, influencers, and political figures on digital platforms. Situating these developments within the context of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, the chapter reflects on changing patterns of political engagement among younger audiences and the implications for democratic participation.
Together, these publications contribute to ongoing debates about the transformation of citizenship, political participation, and news engagement in increasingly digital and platform-mediated communication environments.