1st Edition
Authoritarian Populism and the Challenges for News Journalism A Discourse Approach
Introduction
1 News discourse as the object of study
Part 1 The far-right delegitimization of mainstream journalism
2 The disruption of journalistic authority and institutionalized relationships in political interviews
3 The discourse of alternative news: between factual reporting and political propaganda
Part 2 The performances and propagation of far-right populism in the news
4 The styles of populist political performances
5 Reporting the unsayable: authoritarian provocations and their recontextualization in the news
Part 3 The normalization of far-right discourses in the news media
6 Media populism and the construction of ‘the people’ in political news interviews
7 The normalization of far-right politics in routine news events and political interviews
8 The politics of fear in political performance and news coverage
Part 4 Conclusion
9 Inside the vortex of authoritarian populism: news discourse and the challenges for journalism
Biography
Mats Ekström is Professor in the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Marianna Patrona is Associate Professor in the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Hellenic Army Academy, Greece.
“This book is necessary reading for anyone concerned with authoritarian populism. Through a meticulous analysis of everyday news discourse, Ekström and Patrona demonstrate how conventional journalistic practice often inadvertently reinforces and legitimates antidemocratic perspectives. To break away from abetting the far right, a convincing case is made for journalists to reposition their core principles around a clear allegiance to fostering an inclusive democracy.”
Matt Carlson, Professor in the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Minnesota, United States
“This wide-ranging, rigorous and systematic study adds an important dimension to our understanding of authoritarian populism and the ways in which it is shaped, promoted and resisted in broadcast and social media. Through close analysis it casts light on how right-wing populism is mediated in the talk of journalists and politicians and in the exchanges between them. Challenging and insightful, it will prove an invaluable resource for all those concerned about the state of public discourse in contemporary society.”
Martin Montgomery, Emeritus Professor of Literary Linguistics, University of Macau, China
