Far-right populism in alt-tech

A challenge for democracy

Bibliographic Data

ID6443663
AuthorsMelissa‐ellen Dowling (0000-0002-0471-3257, Flinders University, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume27
Issue4
Pages2068-2086
Publication date2023-10-25
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueNew Media & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-4448 • E-ISSN: 1461-7315
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/14614448231205889
OpenAlexW4387937234
LanguageEN
Citations received6
References cited62

This article examines how far-right communities in alt-tech platforms depict and engage with the values of democracy. The study contributes to the ongoing discussion on the impact of far-right populism on democracy and the role of alt-tech social media as an enabling platform for such ideologies. Through applying the concept of polyarchal democracy as an analytical framework, the article conducts a case study of Australian alt-tech communities to explore discourses of democracy. The dataset comprises of text-centric social media posts from the Telegram and Gab platforms during the 2022 federal election period. The findings reveal that, overall, far-right populist discourses in alt-tech communities predominantly support the processes of democracy and uphold most (though not all) of its values. Understanding these discourses is crucial for safeguarding liberal democracy in a context of rising illiberalism

Context (archaeology · Democracy · Ideology · Liberal democracy · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Populism · Safeguarding · Social media · Sociology · Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection · Law · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Public Administration · Social Media and Politics

Tools

Open DOIOpen Access