Linda Bos

Linda Bos is Associate Professor Political Communication and Journalism at the Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

The central theme in Linda Bos's work is populist political communication, with a particular focus on how populist messages are constructed, communicated, and received. She studies how populist actors use rhetorical strategies—such as blaming elites, appealing to "the people," and using emotional or moral language—to gain support. Her research also examines how media contribute to the visibility and success of populist parties, and how citizens interpret and respond to these messages. Importantly, she explores populism not only as a political style or ideology but also as a social identity, highlighting its potential to both mobilize and polarize the public.

Her broader research line centres on the relation between political elites, media and voters, focusing on the content and effects of political communication for democracy. Linda is a member of both the DigiWorld and the CamforS team, studying national digital election campaigning worldwide and at the European elections. From 2014 to 2018 Linda was a Management Committee Member of the COST action on Populist Political Communication in Europe, and currently she is a Core Group member of the COST action on Linking Euroscepticism and Populism. Linda is the recipient of an SSH NWO-M grant to study how the moral language of politicians and journalists guides citizens. Linda published 40+ articles in ISI-ranked journals such as Political Communication, Party Politics, European Journal of Political Research, International Journal of Press/Politics, Political Psychology and Political Studies.

Specializations