How the Media Uses the Phrase “Identity Politics”

Bibliographic Data

ID12377930
AuthorsKaryn Amira (0000-0002-1683-8540, College of Charleston, corresponding author), Alexander T Abraham, Alexander Abraham
Year2022
Volume55
Issue4
Pages677-681
Publication date2022-06-21
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePS Political Science & Politics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1049-0965 • E-ISSN: 1537-5935
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s1049096522000452
OpenAlexW4283208748
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited30

The phrase “identity politics” has experienced a recent surge in political discourse. However, its meaning varies for highly informed political groups, leaving the term definitionally vague for the general public. Second-level agenda-setting theory can be used to explain how this phrase is communicated to the public by the mass media, a crucial disseminator of political information. We used a quantitative content analysis of major US publications to examine the frequency of this phrase’s use and how it is presented to audiences. We found a surge in mentions beginning in 2016. We also found that it is tied more to the political Left, but there also is a fair amount of linkage to the political Right. The phrase also is portrayed negatively. We advocate for using political communication theories to track emerging political terms in the future

Aesthetics · Epistemology · Identity (music · Linguistics · Meaning (existential · Media studies · Phrase · Political communication · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics

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