It's Funny Cause it's Hate: Political Satire as Right Wing Propaganda – A Study on Activism in Disguise

• In Event: Satire and Unconventional Forms of Political Participation

Abstract

The study of digitally mediated activism has traditionally focused on the practices of progressive groups under the premise of pro-democratic objectives, social justice and equality. With the spread of right wing political ideology and the public outreach of subaltern groups in alternative right wing media outlets, however, the probing glance at activist movements needs adjustment. Populists increasingly make use of popular communicative means such as humor and entertainment, while criticizing political, media and economic elites and positioning themselves against an alleged establishment or mainstream. We investigate practices of Facebook articulation by right wing groups from four different countries (Austria, Canada, Germany and the United States) who disseminate their political agenda in the guise of satire. Our findings support that digital activism strategies and satire are neither good, nor bad nor neutral, but can be employed for various political ends while concealing the agenda in terms of style or aesthetics.

Authors

• Anna Wagner, Augsburg U

• Christian Schwarzenegger, Augsburg U