Currently a postdoctoral researcher at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, I also serve as the editor of the Political Communication Report. In addition, I manage the websites and social media for the Political Communication divisions of APSA and ICA. I'm an active member of the research networks DigiWorld and the Digital Media and Society Observatory. My research focuses on digital political communication and journalism studies.

I have expertise in data analysis, mixed methods research, and project management. My research focuses on how journalists and political actors use the media to frame contentious issues such as the environment, migration, and gender. By examining the mechanisms that shape these representations, I aim to uncover their role in either exacerbating or mitigating social divisions.

For example, my doctoral research (funded by a DAAD scholarship) examined media representations of migration in Brazil and the UK, highlighting how dehumanizing frames shape public perceptions and suggesting ways to promote more inclusive narratives. During my PhD, I also studied digital political campaigns in Latin America, demonstrating how emotional triggers in divisive narratives shape public engagement on platforms such as Facebook.

Currently, my research is expanding the focus to understand how journalism can bridge societal divides in an increasingly polarized world. My projects focus on sustainable journalism, emphasizing the power of independent and solutions-oriented reporting to amplify marginalized voices.

Throughout my career, I have led complex, cross-cultural research projects using diverse quantitative and qualitative methods such as computer vision algorithms, content analysis, critical metaphor analysis, semi-structured interviews, and focus groups.

Research interests: political communication, othering practices, migration framing, journalism, and Global South.

Contact:

igoncalves@uni-mainz.de

Institut für Publizistik, Jakob-Welder-Weg 12, 55099 Mainz

Room: Georg Forster-Gebäude 03.239

Phone: +49 6131 39 27794