Serving the populist agenda. How German public media broadcasters inadvertently facilitate populist movements by evoking fear and anger

Kimon Kieslich; Frank Marcinkowski

doi:10.5771/2192-4007-2020-4-482

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- Titelei/Inhaltsverzeichnis
- 482–598 FULL PAPER 482–598
  - 482–515 Serving the populist agenda. How German public media broadcasters inadvertently facilitate populist movements by evoking fear and anger Kimon Kieslich, Frank Marcinkowski Kimon Kieslich, Frank Marcinkowski 482–515
  - 516–539 Put down your smartphone – unless you integrate it into the conversation! An experimental investigation of using smartphones during face to face communication Sarah Lutz, Karin Knop Sarah Lutz, Karin Knop 516–539
  - 540–572 Combatting hate and trolling with love and reason? A qualitative analysis of the discursive antagonisms between organized hate speech and counterspeech online Nadine Keller, Tina Askanius Nadine Keller, Tina Askanius 540–572
  - 573–598 Can I confidently guess who you are? Personality and intelligence perception in online dating Maximilian T. P. von Andrian-Werburg, Dorothea C. Adler, Frank Schwab, Sascha Schwarz, Benjamin P. Lange Maximilian T. P. von Andrian-Werburg, Dorothea C. Adler, Frank Schwab, Sascha Schwarz, Benjamin P. Lange 573–598
- 599–626 INVITED PAPER 599–626
  - Empfehlungen zum Umgang mit Forschungsdaten in der Kommunikationswissenschaft – AG Forschungsdaten im Auftrag des Vorstands der DGPuK Christina Peter, Johannes Breuer, Philipp K. Masur, Michael Scharkow, Christian Schwarzenegger Christina Peter, Johannes Breuer, Philipp K. Masur, Michael Scharkow, Christian Schwarzenegger
- 627–650 RESEARCH-IN-BRIEF 627–650
  - Verschiedene politische Ebenen, ähnliche Perzeption? Wie Journalist*innen auf Bundes- und Landesebene die politische Umfrageberichterstattung wahrnehmen Catharina Vögele, Ursula Alexandra Ohliger Catharina Vögele, Ursula Alexandra Ohliger
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SCM Studies in Communication and Media , page 482 - 515

Serving the populist agenda. How German public media broadcasters inadvertently facilitate populist movements by evoking fear and anger

Autoren

Kimon Kieslich Frank Marcinkowski

DOI
- doi.org/10.5771/2192-4007-2020-4-482
- ISSN: 2192-4007
- ISSN online: 2192-4007
Abstract

The term Media Populism is used to indicate a ‘involuntary complicity’ between news media and populist movements based on the convergence of commercial media logic and populist communication style. It grants populists and their messages a high degree of media visibility. According to the literature, this applies more to tabloid media and infotainment content in commercial television than to upmarket media outlets and news programs. In this paper, we refer to another form of involuntary collaboration between news media and populists that is not based on similar communication styles, but simply on the fact that news media have to report on topics which populists claim issue ownership for. This applies foremost to upmarket media and public service broadcasting, which are obliged by their own quality standards or legal mandate to report completely and comprehensively on all topics of public concern. We are especially interested in the emotional response of German audiences to news coverage on two topics: mass migration and the role of Islam in Germany. With the help of two experiments, we demonstrate that public service news reporting on these issues provokes strong negative emotional reactions. What is more, our results indicate that media induced fear and anger lead to increased support for anti-migration and Islam-critical demands. Hence, German public service broadcasters may not only be ‘secret accomplices’ in creating negative emotions towards Muslim migration, but also facilitate populist movements.
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