Communication Environment of the Post-Truth Era as a Prerequisite for Neopopulism

Abstract

The analysis of the communication environment of the post-truth era in the context of the formation of prerequisites for the growth of the effectiveness of populism is carried out. The peculiarities of new forms of horizontal and vertical social interaction, formed under the influence of the latest communication technologies and tools, are highlighted. The impact of the specificity of information presentation on the formation of a new type of thinking is emphasized. The characteristic features and threats of neo-populism and the role of modern communication technologies in the formation of information autocracies are determined. In the communication environment of the post-truth era, there is a coordination of the joint activities of subjects regarding the reproduction and exchange of information and the organization and implementation of activities of a socio-political nature. Undermining the authority of learned knowledge leads to the loss of the ability to think critically in conditions of significant scaling of information. Social networks and computer technology are creating a new type of clip-on thinking. The complex of changes in the communication environment of the post-truth era, which occurs under the influence of the evolution of communication tools, the mediatization of politics, and the formation of clip thinking, lead to the emergence of the phenomenon of neo-populism. Neo-populism actively uses modern communication technologies and emphasizes calls for isolationism. The transition of authoritarian leaders from repressive management methods to the active use of tools for constructing reality contributes to the emergence of a new sophisticated form of authoritarianism - informational autocracy. Reducing the acuteness of the issue of income inequality in combination with economic knowledge can instill in society immunity from populism. The prevention of the destructive effects of the communication environment of the post-truth era will be facilitated by increasing the level of media literacy of the population, countering disinformation, protecting personal data, etc.

Keywords

• communication environment, post-truth, neo-populism, clip thinking, information technologies.