CONCEPTS OF INFOTAINMENT AND POLITAINMENT: SHOWMEN IN MEDIA AND POLITICS

This study examines the relationship between popular media and populism. It demonstrates how entertainment-oriented content fosters anti-elite sentiment and polarisation. Media formats that combine information with spectacle are capable of actively propelling populist leaders and ideologies. The research concludes that media formats blending information with spectacle serve as key mechanisms for propelling populist leaders and ideologies. Keywords: audience, communication, dialogism, media, infotainment, politainment, populism, showman.