Elina Lindgren

Elina Lindgren is a Senior Lecturer at Karlstad University specializing in political communication and public opinion research. She holds a PhD from the University of Gothenburg (2018) and previously worked as an assistant survey manager at the SOM Institute and as a researcher at the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication in Gothenburg. Her work focuses on political rhetoric effects, media framing impacts, and digital disinformation dynamics, particularly conspiracy theories and political dogwhistles in online environments. She actively teaches political science and research methods, contributing to a master’s program on psychological defense against disinformation.

Research interests include:

• Citizen perception of political integration
• Media trust dynamics and source credibility
• Subtle political messaging strategies (dogwhistles)
• Conspiracy theory communication and societal impacts
• Cognitive mechanisms in media consumption

Her 2020s research shows consistent focus on digital media's role in shaping political perceptions, with recent work examining the lifecycle of political dogwhistles and interplay between media trust and (mis)information. Key findings include asymmetrical reinforcing spirals between media use and trust, and the moderating role of journalistic values in news trust perceptions.

Teaching and supervision involve regular thesis supervision at all academic levels. Her collaborative projects often involve international teams like those at University of Gothenburg and Hebrew University, reflecting transnational research on media effects.