ABSTRACT

The Web plays an increasingly important role in the communication strategies of political parties and movements, which increasingly utilize it for promoting ideas and ideologies as well as mobilization and campaigning strategies.

This book explores the role of the Web for right-wing populist political parties and movements across Europe. Analyzing these groups’ discourses and practices of online communication, it shows how social media is used to spread ideas and mobilize supporters whilst also excluding constructed ‘others’ such as migrants, Muslims, women or LGBT persons. Expert contributors provide evidence of a shift in the strategies of mainstream parties as they also engage in ‘Internet populism’ and suggest ways that progressive movements can and do respond to counter these developments. Topics are explored using a cross-country analysis which does not neglect the particularities of the national contexts.

This work will appeal to researchers and students working in the fields of media and communication studies, political theory, policy analysis, studies of populism, racism and nationalism, gender, LGBT, migration, Islam and welfare.

chapter |13 pages

Populism and the web

An introduction to the book

chapter 4|18 pages

Media, politics and democracy

Populist and post-populist Europe in the mirror of the Italian experience

chapter 5|18 pages

From anti-Europeanism to welfare nationalism

Populist strategies on the web

chapter 6|14 pages

Anti-migration and Islamophobia

Web populism and targeting the “easiest other”

chapter 7|19 pages

Perceptions of gender

The discourse of the far right on the web

chapter 8|16 pages

Sexuality online

The construction of right-wing populists’ “internal others” on the web

chapter 9|15 pages

Media populism in post-democracy

The crossroads of right and left political parties

chapter 10|17 pages

Countering populist othering online

Strategies of anti-racist movements