English

Marc-Antoine Martel

About

I am a postdoctoral fellow at Aarhus University. My research focuses on communication and electoral strategies, political behavior, and media information processing. In December 2024, I defended my doctoral dissertation at the University of Montreal, entitled “A Study of Media Coverage and Political Parties’ Selective Issue Emphasis: The Case of Quebec from 1994 to 2022.” I am currently working on a project examining the factors that influence issue competition during election campaigns.

Issue competition refers to the strategies deployed by political parties to increase or decrease the visibility of issues during a campaign in order to make political gains. Political scientists are particularly interested in the salience of electoral issues, as it is one of the variables that can influence voter behavior. Studies have shown that by focusing on distinct issues, parties seek to influence the media agenda to encourage debate on issues that are electorally favorable to them. This aspect of political competition illustrates how parties compete not only through the adoption of positions on a number of issues, but also through the emphasis they place on different issues. In recent years, research has empirically analyzed this phenomenon, finding that parties in fact tend to discuss largely the same issues during election campaigns. My project therefore aims to document the factors that lead political parties to converge in the attention they give to different issues. These factors include public concerns, media coverage and indicators of problem severity (e.g., unemployment rates or crime levels). This project aims to contribute to a better understanding of electoral strategies and their influence on public debates and voting behavior.

Publications

Books

Martel, Marc-Antoine and Richard Nadeau. 2026. Electoral communication in Quebec, 2012-2022. Presses de l’Université de Montréal (Under review).

Peer-Reviewed Articles

Martel, Marc-Antoine. 2024. “Issue Emphasis in the Hybrid Media System: A Longitudinal Study of Party Campaign Messages”. Canadian Journal of Communication (Submitted).

Martel, Marc-Antoine and Richard Nadeau. 2024. “A Re-Examination of the Notions of Issue-Engagement and Issue-Avoidance”. Canadian Journal of Political Science (Revise and resubmit).

Martel, Marc-Antoine and Richard Nadeau. 2023. “Media Coverage of Electoral Issues in Quebec From 1994 to 2018.” Canadian Journal of Political Science, 56 (1): 26–48. doi:10.1017/S0008423922000907.

Martel, Marc-Antoine and Jean-Charles Del Duchetto. 2022. “Election 2018: A New Stage in the Practice of Political Marketing in Quebec.” Canadian Journal of Political Science, 55 (1): 128–49. doi:10.1017/S0008423922000099.

Book Reviews

Martel, Marc-Antoine. 2023. “Inside the Local Campaign: Constituency Elections in Canada Alex Marland et Thierry Giasson (Dir.), Vancouver: UBC Press, 2022, pp. 360.” Canadian Journal of Political Science. doi:10.1017/S000842392300032X.

PhD dissertation

Martel, Marc-Antoine. 2024. “A Study of Media Coverage and Political Parties’ Selective Issue Emphasis: The Case of Quebec from 1994 to 2022.” PhD dissertation, Université de Montréal. hdl.handle.net/1866/41026.

Master's Thesis

Martel, Marc-Antoine. 2019. “Quebec Political Parties' Digital Strategy for the 2018 Election Campaign.” Master's thesis, Université de Montréal. hdl.handle.net/1866/22757.

Click [HERE] to view my CV.

Contact

Email : ma.martel@ps.au.dk

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