Linking politics. How political parties use online link sharing during campaign times in Belgium and Sweden

In today’s hybrid media system, political actors, like individual politicians and parties, have the potential to play an important role in the online resources their audiences are exposed to and access. They could, for example, share news articles that validate their issue positions, or they may promote their own or their parties’ websites. This study zooms in on political parties’ online linking practices across multiple campaigns in Belgium and Sweden, and tests which information and resources they suggest to their online followers. Based on a content analysis of Facebook posts made by 7 Belgian and 11 Swedish political parties in campaign times between 2014 and 2022, findings show that link and news sharing become less prominent over time, that parties shift their focus across types of links and news, and that these shifts are indicative of political communication strategies, priorities, and the larger information environment.