Media Manipulation and Populist Politics: The AfD's Strategic Use of New Media in Shaping German Society

Abstract

The purpose of this assignment is to examine the relationship between a nationalist and populist party and the public media and how this party, fuelled by populism, gains influence. Using the Alternative for Germany (AfD) as an example, an attempt is made to answer this question. In order to achieve as meaningful a result as possible, this work is based on three theories, on the basis of which explicit aspects of the AfD and its relationship with the media are examined. First, a historical overview is drawn up, orientated towards Foucault's genealogical approach, which describes the party's historically tense relationship with the public media in particular. In the second part, the AfD's political work in relation to the public media is analysed on the basis of programme documents and legislative proposals using Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe's discourse theory as a starting point. It concludes with a populism analysis based on Magnus Enzensberger's critical media theory to understand the party's direct interaction with voters. This admittedly somewhat complex theoretical apparatus from different research fields allows for a broad and societal view of the AfD's dealings with the public media in Germany. The findings support my assumptions that there is a strong populist rhetoric and that AfD attempts to integrate public media into their ideologically shaped construction of repressive sentiments and a power elite that encompasses different sectors of society. The public media are included in this narrative, on the one hand by talking about them in a highly populist way, and on the other hand by linking up politically with other parties and thus achieving coalitions that may not even be desired by the 'partners'.