Digital Media and the Rhetoric of Populism

Abstract

Digital media have a significant impact on political communication. The rapid evolution in technology, in the way the public consumes media products and participates in the construction of digital media discourse, significantly influences communication and political competition. For European populist movements, digital media offers additional opportunities to assert themselves on the political stage. The rise of populist movements is associated both with the socio-political context marked by crises (economic crises, pandemics, war) and with the opportunities offered by technology and digital media mechanisms. The latest developments, datafication and the growing role of algorithms, raise important questions related to the quality of future democracy.

Keywords

• digital media
• datafication
• social networks
• social media
• mediatization of politics
• populism