Populism and related concepts

This chapter discusses populism in detail, both in society in general and, specifically, in political communication in the infosphere. It begins with the author’s take on populism, which sees it not so much as a ‘thing’ (as something someone or a group or a political party is), and even less so as an ideology, but as a broad political discourse strategy with multiple vectors. The chapter then takes on a series of topics and themes essential to an understanding of the state of far-right populism today. These are the rise of illiberalism in contemporary democracies; authenticity as a key factor in the self-construction of podcasters and content creators; faith, both as confidence in a leader and as an affiliation to an organized religion; the increased use of insulting language with no constraints in the infosphere; key emotions in polarized political environments – grievance, victimhood, resentment, hatred, retribution, cruelty, nostalgia and fear; anti-intellectualism as integral to anti-elitism; and how patriarchy and misogyny gain force in what is known as the manosphere. The chapter also focuses on the central role of spectacle, entertainment and conspiracy theories in far-right politics, as well as anti-establishmentism and agitation of far-right politicians and media figures.