ABSTRACT
In their condense and thorough study ‘Penal populism and epistemic crime control,’ Ian Loader and Richard Sparks examine populism and technocratic management as political ideologies which compete over crime control policies. Penal populism is an ideology railing against a hitherto dominant group of Platonian guards, the professional elites who were implementing policies in the criminal justice system. This chapter discusses various recent developments regarding deceptive and misinformed public communication, and its propagandic elements. It also discusses some definition issues concerning the terms propaganda, fake news, deception, and misinformation. The chapter addresses promotional cultures, and outrage instilling news deliveries which are characteristic of tabloid populism. It gives some clues about how both developments may contribute to what Loader and Sparks have dubbed an antipolitical malaise. Deceptive campaigning can be placed in the context of influencing public perceptions and expectations in order to manage the reputation of an organization or company.
