Class Political Parties. Populism, and Contemporary Radicalisms

The dawn of the 21st century has witnessed, in the West, the acceleration of the digital revolution and the simultaneous consolidation of populist radicalism as a style of political communication. Established literature highlights the window of opportunity offered by unmediated digital communication to radical political actors, but also to ordinary citizens—both as recipients of extremist messages and as agents of polarisation. Scientific analysis seeks to avoid bias by focusing on the nature of the new radicalism in the digital age, particularly in terms of political communication strategies and methods. This topic can be approached by providing analytical tools that allow for the identification, in the discourse of political actors and citizens alike, of the characteristics, goals, and impacts of this new digital radicalism, both at the national level and in comparative perspective.

Not applicable

I – Populist Political Communication From Analogue to Digital Populism as a Style of Communication II – Radical Political Communication in the Digital Age From Collective Action to Connective Action: Virtual Activism (Webpolitics) The Outrage Industry Three Radical Phenomena The Relationship between Political Communication, Mobilisation, and Violence III – Comparative Case Studies National Case: André Ventura and the Chega Party Transnational Comparison: André Ventura – Donald Trump – Jair Bolsonaro – Matteo Salvini

Classes combine a theoretical and a practical component and are structured into three sections. The first addresses the evolution of populist political communication from the late 20th to the early 21st century. The second focuses on digital radicalisation through three phenomena: hate speech, fake news, and conspiracy theories. The third is dedicated to case studies, with a focus on Portugal in international comparison. The theoretical part is led by the lecturer, with active student participation. The practical part includes group presentations of scientific papers, freely chosen in coordination with the lecturer, and discussion of video examples of radical political communication. The aim is to develop critical analysis skills based on empirical data, distinguishing scientific approaches from normative readings, and enhancing the ability to debate controversial topics with rigour.

Aalberg T., Esser F., Reinemann C., Stromback J., De Vreese C. eds. (2016). Populist Political Communication in Europe (London: Taylor & Francis) Anstead N. (2021). What Do We Know and What Should We Do About Fake News? (London: Sage). Bromell D. (2022). Regulating Free Speech in a Digital Age: Hate, Harm and the Limits of Censorship (London: Springer Cover R., Haw A. & Thompson J. D. (2022). Fake News in Digital Cultures: Technology, Populism and Digital Misinformation (Bingley: Emerald Publishing) Demata M., Zorzi V. & Zottola A. eds. (2022). Conspiracy Theory Discourses (Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company) Nagle A. (2017). Kill All Normies: Online Culture Wars from 4chan and Tumblr to Trump and the Alt-Right (London: Zero Books) Pirro A. LP & Taggart P. (2023). “Populists in power and conspiracy theories”. Party Politics, 29(3): 413-423