Political Communication: Comparing UK and Macedonian practices

Tomorrow (11 November 2021) two guest speakers will give lectures in the course Media and Politics held by Dr. Ivo Bosilkov as part of the BA in International Relations and Diplomacy at the School of Political Science and Psychology of UACS. The lectures will be given by researchers Adrian Waters and Martin Anastasovski and together they will give a comparative perspective about political communication practices in specific contexts of United Kingdom and North Macedonia.

Adrian Waters holds a BA in History and Politics from the University of Kent, a MA in History from University College London and a second-level master’s in International Public Affairs from the LUISS Guido Carli university in Rome. He worked as the secretary of the Institute for a Greater Europe, for which he continues to contribute articles on topics concerning Macedonian and European politics. He was also an intern at the Center for Research and Policy Making in Skopje and has recently completed a traineeship at the Democratic Governance Division within the Council of Europe. 

Mr. Waters’ guest lecture will focus on the role of the British media during the campaign before the referendum held in the UK in June 2016 on EU membership that led to Brexit. It has been widely acknowledged that the political stances of the British newspapers, most of which have right-wing and eurosceptic viewpoints, have influenced the thoughts and consequently the decisions of the electorate. The talk will therefore examine to what extent the UK’s mainstream media outlets were a key factor that contributed to the country’s withdrawal from the EU.

Martin Anastasovski has a bachelor degree in political science. He is a long-time activist for the environment and part of the Zelen Human Grad (Green Humane City) initiative. He has written columns for news outlets, moderated public discussions and authored short works of fiction. He has seven years of working experience in the private sector as content writer. His research interests are in psychology and consumerism.  

Mr. Anastasovski’s guest lecture will shed light on the campaign of Zelen Human Grad in the recent local elections in Skopje, revealing details about the strategy and principles of public communication which helped the organization win two seats in the City Council. By analyzing the innovative aspects of the campaign, such as the bypassing of traditional media, guerrilla marketing and DYI methodology, the lecture will address the issue of volunteering in politics, its opportunities and challenges.

The lectures will take place in room 3D on the third floor from 12:30 to 14:30.