ABSTRACT
Turning from the partisan arena to the media landscape, this chapter considers the various ways in which the media choose to deal with right-wing populist contenders in the Benelux region. Using insights gained from interviews with media practitioners, this chapter shows that, in the absence of a credible right-wing populist challenger, media practitioners in Luxembourg and Wallonia adhere to strict demarcation, whereas the strategies of Dutch and Flemish media practitioners have evolved over time and become gradually more accommodating. More generally, this chapter provides illustrative, comparative evidence about the rationale for why some media provide space for right-wing populist parties while others deny it, thereby illuminating the under-researched topic of societal responses to the populist radical right.
