Deception and Truth in Populist Political Communication
Conflict
Elections
Governance
Media
Populism
Social Media
Communication
Political Ideology
Abstract
Populist actors regularly deploy narratives that intertwine deception, misinformation, and fake news with performative and often emotional appeals to truth and authenticity. They do so across different policy domains and while aiming at persuading, mobilizing or otherwise interacting with a range of different audiences. These strategies are productive of, but also further amplified and shaped by, increasing polarization, as well as by the pervasive influence of digital media, where algorithms, echo chambers, and virality (as well as particular dynamics such as ‘trolling’) play a crucial role in shaping political discourse. This section aims to explore these dynamics, offering a platform for research that interrogates the intersections of populism, political communication, social psychology, and (digital) media studies.
We invite submissions that explore, but are not limited to, some of the following questions and themes in this field:
• The use of deception in populist discourses: When, why and how do populists engage in deceptive forms of political communication (e.g. dissemination of misinformation, lying, bullshit, etc.)? How does this use compare to mainstream political actors (is deception particularly ‘populist’)? How do populist actors construct narratives of truth, trust or authenticity?
• The performative aspects of populist communication: How do populist leaders stage authenticity, truthfulness, or trustworthiness in their public appearances and digital communications? How do populist actors leverage emotional appeals, and how do these resonate across different audiences and demographics, to foster connections or mediate populist truth claims?
• The interplay between populist deception and digital media: How do algorithms, social media platforms, and digital publics condition or mediate the production, spread, acceptance, normalization, etc. of populist truth claims? How do populists seek to exploit these dynamics, or are challenged by them?
• The interplay between deceptive populist deception and its audiences: which audiences or demographics are targeted, and how receptive are they to deceptive claims? What makes populist deception ‘stick’, and how influential is it in determining electoral outcomes or shaping wider societal discourses?
• Comparative studies of populist communication and deception across contexts: What can cross-national or cross-cultural analyses reveal about the general, global or regional patterns of populist deception?
• Impact and counter-strategies: The relationship between populist discourses and rhetoric on the one hand and the discursive manipulation of ‘truth’ on the other raises urgent questions about the nature of political legitimacy and accountability. How does populist deception influence democratic norms and institutions? What strategies, if any, can we devise toward sustainable, resilient political discourse?
We particularly welcome contributions that adopt innovative theoretical frameworks, methodological approaches, or interdisciplinary perspectives. The section seeks to foster a rich exchange of ideas, encourage critical dialogue, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the intersections between populism, political communication, and technology.