Open Day 2022 Talk

Dr. Eitan Tzelgov, Senior Lecturer and Admissions Director

The war of ideas

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Populist ideas are everywhere!

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  • Everyone's been talking about it, but what is it? How do we know?

What do we think?

  • Is it about supporting oppressed groups?

  • Is it against democracy?

  • Is it extreme?

  • Is it spreading fake-news?

  • Is it radical-right?

  • Is it about Donald Trump?

  • Is it about supporting oppressed groups?

  • Is it against democracy?

  • Is it extreme?

  • Is it spreading fake-news?

  • Is it radical-right?

  • Is it about Donald Trump?

Not exactly

What scholars think: core components of populist communication

The People

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  • They are morally superior. The people share common wisdom, preferences and worries. They are pure and good. They are authentic, moral, charismatic, credible intelligent, competent

  • Populists will use People-centric style of communication: Using words such as '(the) people', '(the) public', '(the) citizen(s)', '(the) voter(s)','(the) taxpayer(s)', '(the) resident(s)', '(the) consumer(s) and '(the) population'. Overall, the people (whatever it is), is the one, cohesive, pure, legitimate political community.

  • Populists will express closeness to the this community

  • They will highlight its virtues, its claims, its concerns

  • They will highlight its political sovereignty and will

The Elite/system

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-Who is keeping the people down?

  • Anti-elite/establishment: political elites (parties, government, ministers), but also the media (media tycoons, journalists), the state (administration, civil service), intellectuals (universities, writers, professors) or economic powers (multinationals, employers, trade unions, capitalists).

  • They are corrupt, exploitative, immoral. They are evil and conspiring, selfish and arrogant, or, unaccountable and incompetent.

The Outgroup

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  • Members of the outgroup are viewed as the enemy from within, a fifth column. They are blamed for the misfortunes of society.

  • Out-group exclusion: specific population segments are stigmatized and excluded from 'the people'; they are defined as being a threat to and a burden on society (immigrants, liberals, minorities)

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Where is it?

It's Everywhere! (Right and Left)

Populists and social media

  • A grass-root alternative to mainstream media

  • Algorithmic architecture: creation of networks, favoring emotional, extreme material

  • Creates a feeling of community

  • All of these conditions are conducive to populist communication

Let's get to work

  • Is it 'populist'? Why (People/anti-elite/out-group)?

  • Left or Right?

  • Who tweeted it?

Place the tweet

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Tweet 1

“If you hate America, there are 194 other countries on planet Earth. Pick any flag you like. The lunatic Left hates America. This is insane. WATCH”

25302 likes

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Tweet 1, placed

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Tweet 2

“The people telling you we can't solve the climate crisis helped create it. The people telling you they won't sell off our NHS can afford private healthcare. The people telling you we can't scrap tuition fees went to university for free. They are not on your side.”

19947 likes

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Tweet 2, placed

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Tweet 3

“In case the BBC, ITV and Sky don't tell you, total chaos in the Channel this morning. Border Force can't cope, there have been several beach landings and some migrants have now disappeared into the hills. It is an invasion and the government does nothing.”

17226 likes

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Tweet 3, placed

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Tweet 4

“What a hypocrite. Elon Musk has received billions in corporate welfare from U.S. taxpayers. Now he wants to stop 30 million Americans who lost jobs from receiving $600 a week in unemployment benefits, while his wealth has gone up by $46.7 billion over the past 4 months. Pathetic.”

83416 likes

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Tweet 4, placed

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Tweet 5

“Corbyn and his friends in Parliament don't trust you to make this decision - but I do. Let's put it to the people: more delay with Corbyns , or Brexit delivered on October 31st”

11227 retweets

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Tweet 5, placed

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Tweet 6

“When we say it's time to provide health care to all our people, we're told we can't afford it. But if the stock market is in trouble, no problem! The government can just hand out $1.5 trillion to calm bankers on Wall Street. ”

161143 likes

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Tweet 6, placed

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"If you hate America... The lunatic Left hates America!" Who tweeted it?

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"Sell off our NHS! They are not on your side!" Who tweeted it?

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"It is an invasion and the government does nothing!" Who tweeted it?

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"Elon Musk has received billions! Pathetic!" Who tweeted it?

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"More delay with Corbyns, or Brexit!" Who tweeted it?

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"The government hands out $1.5 trillion to Wall Street!" Who tweeted it?

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What did we learn?

  • How to think carefully about concepts in society (what they are, what they aren't)

  • How humanities scholars think about populist communication (maybe even measure it)

  • That we can use social media to study communication between opinion leaders and groups

  • How social media can change power relations in society

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