From Heroes to Traitors: Political Populism in the Catalan Independence Movement’s Use of Social Networking Sites

Abstract

This study analyses how social networking sites can prompt or delay a political decision, regardless of the veracity of the messages shared. Specifically, focus is directed on the 24 hours from 26 to 27 of October 2017, when an unconfirmed piece of news substantially affected the framing of the political leadership of Carles Puigdemont, the then president of the Generalitat de Cataluña (regional government of Catalonia). Those supporting independence altered their perception of Puigdemont, breaking with the narrative of the hero to accuse him of betrayal. For its part, the discourse of the constitutionalists was similarly polarised. Finally, it should be noted that social networking sites relied on the messages published in the conventional media which, by way of the daily news and breaking news, shaped the public conversation.