Pierre Leroux

Pierre Leroux is a Professor at the University of Angers (UCO Angers) and Full Researcher at the Arènes laboratory (CNRS UMR 6051). He holds HDR (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches) in Information and Communication Sciences from University of Toulouse-Le Mirail (2009) and a PhD in Political Science from IEP of Rennes/University of Rennes 1 (1986). His research focuses on public space, media/journalism-politics intersections, political communication, and gender-politics dynamics.

He is a member of the Com Pol network and editorial boards of Mots. The languages of politics and Politique de communication. His work spans 40+ years, including seminal studies on television's impact on political representation, media celebrity culture, and gender in politics. Notable books include La politique sur un plateau (2013) and Selfies & Stars (2019).

Recent research explores digital media's role in political discourse, hate speech online, and presidential media strategies (e.g., Macron's 2014-2016 media capital analysis). He actively engages in public debates via media appearances and conferences, including discussions on youth political engagement (2014) and political theater in presidential campaigns (2017).

Leroux leads the CHUS (Culture, History, Urban Studies) team and is affiliated with the ARENES laboratory, focusing on interdisciplinary research blending sociology, political science, and communication studies.