ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN POPULIST POLITICS

Abstract

Though populist movements are not a recent phenomenon, they have proliferated and gained traction after the late-1990s. This has corresponded with the rise of social media platforms across the world, making it imperative to examine the connection between social media and populist politics. Pursuant to this, the paper analyses the role that social media plays in the expansion of populist discourse. Section I of the paper explores the emphasis on social media in populist politics as a reaction to conventional media. Section II examines the role of social media in populist discourse, such as in the creation of a sense of oneness among the people and the new accessibility to political leaders. Section III then looks at the consequences of this role, such as the creation of a post-truth era and the shift from rational to affective or emotional persuasion in political discourse. The author finds that firstly, the rise in populism is linked to the rise in social media due to a distrust of the elite-controlled conventional media. This is because social media allows for the circumvention of barriers and provides a voice to the people who previously felt unheard. It also allows for unmediated access to populist leaders who may have otherwise been censored. Secondly, the author finds that social media creates a stronger sense of oneness among the online community due to its amplification of negative emotions central to populist politics. Moreover, it has enabled the creation of stronger, more personal, and continuous bonds between leaders and supporters, and has allowed leaders to disguise themselves as part of the ordinary masses. In this way, social media has resulted in the facilitation of populist discourse. Though this role is important for democracy, the author lastly finds that the unchecked spread of populist discourse on social media leads to a post-truth era and a shift to affective politics.