Elite Newspapers as Indicators of Political Crisis: The Rise of National Socialism, 1927–1932

• In Event: Nation, Narrative, and Histories of News

Abstract

The rise of Nazi and fascist movements in the 1920s and 1930s happened within democratic systems with well-developed media. This gives rise to the question of whether an increasingly "right wing" press climate aided the emergence of fascist movements. Based on a comparative analysis of the daily press in Germany and Austria, this paper argues that in a democratic-corporatist media system (to which both countries belong), certain newspapers not only assume the role of opinion leaders, but act as a "suitable" sounding board for the relevant political parties. According to sociometric theory, in times of serious crisis, the cohesion of this group of "elite media" is lessened and its composition changes in the direction of those actors that are perceived as being responsible for making fundamental decisions in politics and society. There is empirical evidence for both assumptions, reflecting a growing significance of right-wing positions in public discourse.

Authors

• Gabriele Melischek, Austrian Academy of Sciences

• Josef Seethaler, Austrian Academy of Sciences