Engage - UCLouvain

At Engage, the Brussels-based research centre for information and communication sciences of the UCLouvain, we study how social actors engage with one-another and with society at large, focusing on media, communication, and discourse. From these interactions, public spheres emerge. Our research explores the attitudes and practices that constitute this “publicness”, examining participation, interaction, and debate via various media platforms. Our research is guided by four main axes : - Strategic communication of institutions in the public sphere: Engage studies how institutions use strategic communication to shape identities, influence audiences, and transform the public sphere, exploring the discursive processes driving contestation, normalization, politicization, persuasion, influence, and propaganda. - Political and institutional participation: Engage examines how citizens’ media practices support or hinder participation in democratic processes, particularly in policy-making. We study the impact of digital platforms on trust, legitimacy, and involvement at various levels of governance. - Debates and critiques in the public sphere: Engage investigates the role of public debate as both a constitutive and disruptive force in the public sphere, analyzing controversies and societal debates to understand and participate in the evolution of democratic dialogue and critique. - Media use and media literacy in democratic citizenship: Engage explores how everyday media practices shape citizens’ democratic experiences and sense of publicness, focusing on how media literacy contributes to active citizenship. Engage is also firmly embedded within the public sphere it seeks to understand, contributing critically to public discussions. Our researchers see their work as integral to sustaining and enriching the public debate. Ultimately, Engage’s mission is grounded in the ideal of a democratic public sphere, where dialogues, participation, and informed debate thrive.