ABSTRACT
This part introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters. The part argues that there is a convergence between populist actors and the populist media in appealing to techniques that lead to the "simplification, polarization, personalization, stereotypization, emotionalization, dramatization, and the prioritization of conflict". It shows that in Europe and the United States the tabloidization of the media, the "popular" press, and "talk radio" favor content that fits certain traits of populism. The part analyzes how the new media offered ample opportunities for populists. It suggests that whereas left populists focus on issues of ownership and control of media empires, right-wing populist focus on the ideological sympathies of media workers for multiculturalism, cosmopolitanism, and in general affinities to liberal and progressive causes. The part argues that populists are hostile to democratic communication.
