Benjamin Krämer
Biographic Data
| ID | 3771464 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Benjamin Krämer |
| GIVEN NAMES | Benjamin |
| FAMILY NAME | Krämer |
| SIGNATURE | KRAMER B |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1351-2414 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 19 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 276 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 19 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1956 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
“I Am Not a Conspiracy Theorist, But . . .”: Communicative Norms in Conspiracy Theory Supporters’ Interactions With Other News Users in Germany, Israel, Sweden, and the United States
Belief in conspiracy theories (CTs) has gained considerable public visibility, raising concerns about supporters’ antidemocratic attitudes and resistance to evidence-based arguments. While there is ample research documenting such tendencies among dedicated CT communities, however, it is less clear how well these findings generalize toward other CT supporters closer to the societal mainstream. In this study, we analyze user commentary responding t…
Theorizing Communication. The Production of Theory in Communication Journals
If communication research is in a ‘theory crisis’ or if there is at least an unused potential for theorizing, one of the ways of addressing such challenges is to analyze actual strategies of theorizing. This is not only relevant for practical and educational purposes but can also be a starting point for a science and technology studies’ perspective on communication research. This article presents a first qualitative study of structures of theoret…
The shift to authenticity: A framework for analysis of political truth claims
It is often claimed that political disinformation is more abundant than ever, that populists are particularly prone to lying, and that we live in an era of post-truth or epistemic relativism. Contrary to these views, we interpret this historical trend as a shift from objective to authentic forms of political truth claims. We develop a diagnostic framework that captures different types of political truth claims and their distinct elements. This fr…
How German Communication Research Discovered Bourdieu but Missed His Potential for the Study of (Populist) Political Communication
Starting with an outline of Pierre Bourdieu’s reception in German-speaking communication research, this article identifies an important omission: his writings on politics and the corresponding symbolic struggles. In particular, the field of research on political communication could profit from the approaches outlined in these publications. This is exemplified by research on populist communication, which has become one of the most important topics…
Right-wing populism as a worldview and online practice: Social media communication by ordinary citizens between ideology and lifestyles
Right-wing populist ideologies are expressed not only by politicians, party members or mass media actors but also by non-organised citizens on social media. On these platforms, political messages alternate with posts revealing personal lifestyles. We assume that an increasingly coherent political milieu and identity are emerging around right-wing populist worldviews that manifest themselves in social media practices and correspond with expression…
Stop studying “fake news” (we can still fight against disinformation in the media)
The problem of “fake news” has received considerable attention both in public discourse and in scholarship. However, many have argued that the term should be avoided for ideological reasons or because it lacks clarity. At the same time, a growing body of literature investigates “fake news” empirically. We complement this discussion by reflecting on epistemological and methodological problems with the term “fake news” and the implications for poss…
Ontology of opposition online. Representing antagonistic structures on the Internet
Research on cooperative social structures and particular types of conflict behavior online is readily available. However, the field lacks a framework to analyze how antagonistic structures are represented on online platforms. Social structures can be represented formally (manifestly) or informally (in open verbal or visual forms) or remain latent - a distinction that has received little scholarly attention in the analysis of computermediated comm…
Exemplification Effects: A Meta-Analysis
The presentation of single cases as examples for larger phenomena has a long-standing tradition in journalism. However, their usage has been viewed rather critically within the scientific community, because they are employed in a highly selective manner. Consequently, over the course of the last three decades, communication scholars from different research traditions have concerned themselves with the question of how single-case information withi…
Populism, Media, and the Form of Society
How does populism understand society and the role of the media, and how can the relationship between populism and the media be interpreted from a perspective of social theory? This article compares an ideal-typical right-wing populist worldview to a social-theoretical perspective and populism is interpreted as a reaction to structures of modern society. It theorizes the ambiguous role of the media in a populist worldview, with regard to anti-medi…
Looking left or looking right? Effects of newspaper layout style on the perception of political news
The perception of political messages may not only be shaped by textual information, but also by its visual appearance. An online experiment investigated how newspaper articles’ layout style and text slant affect the perception of a newspapers’ political orientation on the left-right axis. The layout versions were based on a prior analysis of correlations between design and political direction of quality newspapers. Results suggest the existence o…
Populist online practices: The function of the Internet in right-wing populism
This article develops a theoretical classification of functions of different Internet applications and plattforms in right-wing populism. Its aim is to understand how the Internet is seen and used by populists and how it contributes to populism. Online communication by both populist leaders or organizations and non-organized actors is discussed. Main functions include the representation of the relationship between leaders and 'the people,' justif…
Social Ontologies Online: The Representation of Social Structures on the Internet
It is commonly said that 'there are' social structures on the Internet. But how can they exist there, how can we identify and classify them? A theoretical and methodological framework is presented that describes the relationship between data structures, algorithms, and different types of social structures. We suggest that the latter are 'represented' online in different senses of the word: They are not only described, but, by manipulating data, s…
Popularity
After a brief history of the concept of the people, political popularity is discussed with regard to explanatory factors, the concept of charismatic leadership, and populism. This is followed by an overview of perspectives on popular culture, including theories of distinction among taste cultures; evaluative views by conservatives, critical theorists, and academic populists; and the discussion in cultural studies of the reproduction of dominant i…
Is a theory of media and communication history possible (and necessary)
While there has been a broad debate on the use of theory in history in general, there are few contributions by historians of communication and the media discussing the role of theory in their particular field. We therefore review and discuss some of the main arguments pertaining to the use of theory in historiography and apply them to the field of media and communication history. Such arguments include the assumption that theories are already imp…
Media Populism: A Conceptual Clarification and Some Theses on its Effects
On the basis of a review of the literature on populism and a definition of populism in general, the concept of media populism is developed. The structural position of media organizations is analyzed regarding the opportunities and constraints when using a populist rhetoric and populist political claims. Two exemplary cases of media populism (typical elements can be found in the tabloid press and in talk radio), and its prevalence in popular cultu…
Strategies of Media Use
Media use is theorized as strategic practice (in Bourdieu's sense) leading to longterm profits or governed by short-term tactic orientations. By strategies of media use, the recipient adapts to the structure of situations, media content and technologies, and they are linked to social structure. The reach of such strategies (in terms of stakes implied in them and profits) may extend beyond their scope, i.e., the part of the subjective reality that…
Mediensozialisation: Theorie und Empirie zum Erwerb medienbezogener Dispositionen
Four Voices, One Canon: A Comparative Study on the Music Selection of Classical Music Radio Stations
■ In different countries, radio stations broadcast what is regularly categorized as classical music. The question arises, however, whether the various stations rely on the same concept of the genre and whether they apply the same programming strategies. In an analysis focusing on the composers of the works broadcast, programmes of four radio stations — two in Germany, one in France and one in the US — were compared. The results are interpreted wi…
A Quest for the Anti-Diabetic Hormone 1913–1916
JOHN R. MURLIN, BENJAMIN KRAMER; A Quest for the Anti-Diabetic Hormone 1913–1916, Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Volume XI, Issue
Populist online practices: The function of the Internet in right-wing populism
This article develops a theoretical classification of functions of different Internet applications and plattforms in right-wing populism. Its aim is to understand how the Internet is seen and used by populists and how it contributes to populism. Online communication by both populist leaders or organizations and non-organized actors is discussed. Main functions include the representation of the relationship between leaders and 'the people,' justif…
Media Populism: A Conceptual Clarification and Some Theses on its Effects
On the basis of a review of the literature on populism and a definition of populism in general, the concept of media populism is developed. The structural position of media organizations is analyzed regarding the opportunities and constraints when using a populist rhetoric and populist political claims. Two exemplary cases of media populism (typical elements can be found in the tabloid press and in talk radio), and its prevalence in popular cultu…
Populism, Media, and the Form of Society
How does populism understand society and the role of the media, and how can the relationship between populism and the media be interpreted from a perspective of social theory? This article compares an ideal-typical right-wing populist worldview to a social-theoretical perspective and populism is interpreted as a reaction to structures of modern society. It theorizes the ambiguous role of the media in a populist worldview, with regard to anti-medi…
Exemplification Effects: A Meta-Analysis
The presentation of single cases as examples for larger phenomena has a long-standing tradition in journalism. However, their usage has been viewed rather critically within the scientific community, because they are employed in a highly selective manner. Consequently, over the course of the last three decades, communication scholars from different research traditions have concerned themselves with the question of how single-case information withi…
Right-wing populism as a worldview and online practice: Social media communication by ordinary citizens between ideology and lifestyles
Right-wing populist ideologies are expressed not only by politicians, party members or mass media actors but also by non-organised citizens on social media. On these platforms, political messages alternate with posts revealing personal lifestyles. We assume that an increasingly coherent political milieu and identity are emerging around right-wing populist worldviews that manifest themselves in social media practices and correspond with expression…
Stop studying “fake news” (we can still fight against disinformation in the media)
The problem of “fake news” has received considerable attention both in public discourse and in scholarship. However, many have argued that the term should be avoided for ideological reasons or because it lacks clarity. At the same time, a growing body of literature investigates “fake news” empirically. We complement this discussion by reflecting on epistemological and methodological problems with the term “fake news” and the implications for poss…
Theorizing Communication. The Production of Theory in Communication Journals
If communication research is in a ‘theory crisis’ or if there is at least an unused potential for theorizing, one of the ways of addressing such challenges is to analyze actual strategies of theorizing. This is not only relevant for practical and educational purposes but can also be a starting point for a science and technology studies’ perspective on communication research. This article presents a first qualitative study of structures of theoret…
The shift to authenticity: A framework for analysis of political truth claims
It is often claimed that political disinformation is more abundant than ever, that populists are particularly prone to lying, and that we live in an era of post-truth or epistemic relativism. Contrary to these views, we interpret this historical trend as a shift from objective to authentic forms of political truth claims. We develop a diagnostic framework that captures different types of political truth claims and their distinct elements. This fr…
How German Communication Research Discovered Bourdieu but Missed His Potential for the Study of (Populist) Political Communication
Starting with an outline of Pierre Bourdieu’s reception in German-speaking communication research, this article identifies an important omission: his writings on politics and the corresponding symbolic struggles. In particular, the field of research on political communication could profit from the approaches outlined in these publications. This is exemplified by research on populist communication, which has become one of the most important topics…
Ontology of opposition online. Representing antagonistic structures on the Internet
Research on cooperative social structures and particular types of conflict behavior online is readily available. However, the field lacks a framework to analyze how antagonistic structures are represented on online platforms. Social structures can be represented formally (manifestly) or informally (in open verbal or visual forms) or remain latent - a distinction that has received little scholarly attention in the analysis of computermediated comm…
Social Ontologies Online: The Representation of Social Structures on the Internet
It is commonly said that 'there are' social structures on the Internet. But how can they exist there, how can we identify and classify them? A theoretical and methodological framework is presented that describes the relationship between data structures, algorithms, and different types of social structures. We suggest that the latter are 'represented' online in different senses of the word: They are not only described, but, by manipulating data, s…
Is a theory of media and communication history possible (and necessary)
While there has been a broad debate on the use of theory in history in general, there are few contributions by historians of communication and the media discussing the role of theory in their particular field. We therefore review and discuss some of the main arguments pertaining to the use of theory in historiography and apply them to the field of media and communication history. Such arguments include the assumption that theories are already imp…
Strategies of Media Use
Media use is theorized as strategic practice (in Bourdieu's sense) leading to longterm profits or governed by short-term tactic orientations. By strategies of media use, the recipient adapts to the structure of situations, media content and technologies, and they are linked to social structure. The reach of such strategies (in terms of stakes implied in them and profits) may extend beyond their scope, i.e., the part of the subjective reality that…
Mediensozialisation: Theorie und Empirie zum Erwerb medienbezogener Dispositionen
Four Voices, One Canon: A Comparative Study on the Music Selection of Classical Music Radio Stations
■ In different countries, radio stations broadcast what is regularly categorized as classical music. The question arises, however, whether the various stations rely on the same concept of the genre and whether they apply the same programming strategies. In an analysis focusing on the composers of the works broadcast, programmes of four radio stations — two in Germany, one in France and one in the US — were compared. The results are interpreted wi…
A Quest for the Anti-Diabetic Hormone 1913–1916
JOHN R. MURLIN, BENJAMIN KRAMER; A Quest for the Anti-Diabetic Hormone 1913–1916, Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences, Volume XI, Issue
Four Voices, One Canon: A Comparative Study on the Music Selection of Classical Music Radio Stations
■ In different countries, radio stations broadcast what is regularly categorized as classical music. The question arises, however, whether the various stations rely on the same concept of the genre and whether they apply the same programming strategies. In an analysis focusing on the composers of the works broadcast, programmes of four radio stations — two in Germany, one in France and one in the US — were compared. The results are interpreted wi…
Mediensozialisation: Theorie und Empirie zum Erwerb medienbezogener Dispositionen
Strategies of Media Use
Media use is theorized as strategic practice (in Bourdieu's sense) leading to longterm profits or governed by short-term tactic orientations. By strategies of media use, the recipient adapts to the structure of situations, media content and technologies, and they are linked to social structure. The reach of such strategies (in terms of stakes implied in them and profits) may extend beyond their scope, i.e., the part of the subjective reality that…
Media Populism: A Conceptual Clarification and Some Theses on its Effects
On the basis of a review of the literature on populism and a definition of populism in general, the concept of media populism is developed. The structural position of media organizations is analyzed regarding the opportunities and constraints when using a populist rhetoric and populist political claims. Two exemplary cases of media populism (typical elements can be found in the tabloid press and in talk radio), and its prevalence in popular cultu…
Popularity
After a brief history of the concept of the people, political popularity is discussed with regard to explanatory factors, the concept of charismatic leadership, and populism. This is followed by an overview of perspectives on popular culture, including theories of distinction among taste cultures; evaluative views by conservatives, critical theorists, and academic populists; and the discussion in cultural studies of the reproduction of dominant i…
Is a theory of media and communication history possible (and necessary)
While there has been a broad debate on the use of theory in history in general, there are few contributions by historians of communication and the media discussing the role of theory in their particular field. We therefore review and discuss some of the main arguments pertaining to the use of theory in historiography and apply them to the field of media and communication history. Such arguments include the assumption that theories are already imp…
Looking left or looking right? Effects of newspaper layout style on the perception of political news
The perception of political messages may not only be shaped by textual information, but also by its visual appearance. An online experiment investigated how newspaper articles’ layout style and text slant affect the perception of a newspapers’ political orientation on the left-right axis. The layout versions were based on a prior analysis of correlations between design and political direction of quality newspapers. Results suggest the existence o…
Populist online practices: The function of the Internet in right-wing populism
This article develops a theoretical classification of functions of different Internet applications and plattforms in right-wing populism. Its aim is to understand how the Internet is seen and used by populists and how it contributes to populism. Online communication by both populist leaders or organizations and non-organized actors is discussed. Main functions include the representation of the relationship between leaders and 'the people,' justif…
Social Ontologies Online: The Representation of Social Structures on the Internet
It is commonly said that 'there are' social structures on the Internet. But how can they exist there, how can we identify and classify them? A theoretical and methodological framework is presented that describes the relationship between data structures, algorithms, and different types of social structures. We suggest that the latter are 'represented' online in different senses of the word: They are not only described, but, by manipulating data, s…
Populism, Media, and the Form of Society
How does populism understand society and the role of the media, and how can the relationship between populism and the media be interpreted from a perspective of social theory? This article compares an ideal-typical right-wing populist worldview to a social-theoretical perspective and populism is interpreted as a reaction to structures of modern society. It theorizes the ambiguous role of the media in a populist worldview, with regard to anti-medi…
Ontology of opposition online. Representing antagonistic structures on the Internet
Research on cooperative social structures and particular types of conflict behavior online is readily available. However, the field lacks a framework to analyze how antagonistic structures are represented on online platforms. Social structures can be represented formally (manifestly) or informally (in open verbal or visual forms) or remain latent - a distinction that has received little scholarly attention in the analysis of computermediated comm…
Exemplification Effects: A Meta-Analysis
The presentation of single cases as examples for larger phenomena has a long-standing tradition in journalism. However, their usage has been viewed rather critically within the scientific community, because they are employed in a highly selective manner. Consequently, over the course of the last three decades, communication scholars from different research traditions have concerned themselves with the question of how single-case information withi…
Right-wing populism as a worldview and online practice: Social media communication by ordinary citizens between ideology and lifestyles
Right-wing populist ideologies are expressed not only by politicians, party members or mass media actors but also by non-organised citizens on social media. On these platforms, political messages alternate with posts revealing personal lifestyles. We assume that an increasingly coherent political milieu and identity are emerging around right-wing populist worldviews that manifest themselves in social media practices and correspond with expression…
Stop studying “fake news” (we can still fight against disinformation in the media)
The problem of “fake news” has received considerable attention both in public discourse and in scholarship. However, many have argued that the term should be avoided for ideological reasons or because it lacks clarity. At the same time, a growing body of literature investigates “fake news” empirically. We complement this discussion by reflecting on epistemological and methodological problems with the term “fake news” and the implications for poss…
How German Communication Research Discovered Bourdieu but Missed His Potential for the Study of (Populist) Political Communication
Starting with an outline of Pierre Bourdieu’s reception in German-speaking communication research, this article identifies an important omission: his writings on politics and the corresponding symbolic struggles. In particular, the field of research on political communication could profit from the approaches outlined in these publications. This is exemplified by research on populist communication, which has become one of the most important topics…
Theorizing Communication. The Production of Theory in Communication Journals
If communication research is in a ‘theory crisis’ or if there is at least an unused potential for theorizing, one of the ways of addressing such challenges is to analyze actual strategies of theorizing. This is not only relevant for practical and educational purposes but can also be a starting point for a science and technology studies’ perspective on communication research. This article presents a first qualitative study of structures of theoret…
The shift to authenticity: A framework for analysis of political truth claims
It is often claimed that political disinformation is more abundant than ever, that populists are particularly prone to lying, and that we live in an era of post-truth or epistemic relativism. Contrary to these views, we interpret this historical trend as a shift from objective to authentic forms of political truth claims. We develop a diagnostic framework that captures different types of political truth claims and their distinct elements. This fr…
“I Am Not a Conspiracy Theorist, But . . .”: Communicative Norms in Conspiracy Theory Supporters’ Interactions With Other News Users in Germany, Israel, Sweden, and the United States
Belief in conspiracy theories (CTs) has gained considerable public visibility, raising concerns about supporters’ antidemocratic attitudes and resistance to evidence-based arguments. While there is ample research documenting such tendencies among dedicated CT communities, however, it is less clear how well these findings generalize toward other CT supporters closer to the societal mainstream. In this study, we analyze user commentary responding t…
Computer Science (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Political science (10 works) · Epistemology (9 works) · Politics (8 works) · Law (6 works) · Media studies (6 works) · Populism, Right-Wing Movements (6 works) · Psychology (6 works) · Law (5 works)