The Mediality of Social Media as a Conceptual and Methodological Challenge for Discourse Studies: A Case Study of Public Discourses of Far-Right Parties in the European Parliament on the Platform Formerly Known as Twitter

Social media play an important role in shaping public opinion. For discourse studies in the social sciences, which analyze how discourses (re-)produce social realities, social media platforms are therefore of great relevance. Concepts and methodological tools of discourse studies, however, have traditionally been oriented toward print media and public speeches – at least implicitly. However, since Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter at the latest, it has become clear that the specific »mediality« of social media must be considered in the analysis of online discourses. In our paper, we therefore argue that discourse studies in the social sciences must address the question of mediality and discuss current challenges arising, for example, from the limited access to online debates for research.