Hybrid Populism in the Global East: Evidence from the Visual Campaigning on Facebook in the Era of COVID-19

This study examines visual communication as a voter engagement tool on social media during the COVID-19 pandemic in Albania and Kosovo, two hybrid regimes that share historical and cultural legacies but distinct party systems and media landscapes. Guided by the theory of hybrid populism and a quantitative content analysis of 2,003 Facebook posts from the 2021 elections, we test the engagement effects of cognitive and emotional dimensions of visual mobilization. Findings reveal a gap between party messaging and audience engagement. In Albania, populist visuals were more common but less engaging; in Kosovo, they drove higher interaction. Cognitive mobilization posts fostered engagement but were underutilized. We discuss implications for digital political communication within the context of transitional societies in the Global East.