Diggit Magazine

Digital media and Politics

This article is written as part of one of the courses of the BA Online Culture: Art, Media and Society or the MA Online Culture at Tilburg University. Click on the link for more info on the courses and the programme.

In this international Bachelor’s program Online Culture: Art, Media and Society (Culture Studies) the focus is on digital culture and (new) media. From disciplines such as cultural studies and media studies you study how digitalization and globalization influence our way of living. You discuss new ways of communication, art expressions as well as (social) media expressions like memes and trolls. You research how such ways of communication and expressions are established and how they manifest in, and have influence on a society that increasingly takes place online. Additionally, you actively contribute to digital culture by writing papers and opinion pieces for our own online platform Diggit Magazine.

How Andrew Tate uses media literacy to gain online influence
© Femke van Bree

How Andrew Tate gains influence through his media literacy

Paper
Femke van Bree
23/01/2023
19 minutes to read

Despite getting banned several times on a wide variety of online platforms, Andrew Tate continues to gain influence online. This article analyses Andrew Tate’s online presence, to show how he deploys his media literacy to spread his ideas.

Banner of PragerU Kids featuring the characters from their shows
© PragerU

PragerU Kids: Radical right-wing content for children

Article
Anna Skorodihina
06/03/2023
16 minutes to read

PragerU claims that PragerU Kids content was made as an educational alternative to fight indoctrination, but it seems like it aims to promote far-right ideology. This paper looks into how digital practices are used for radicalization.

Cover page of Kostadin Kostadinov and the members of Revival in the background
© Kostadin Kostadinov

The political message of Revival's leader Kostadin Kostadinov

Article
Iva Konstantinova
22/02/2023
13 minutes to read

The leader of far-right political party Revival in Bulgaria has taken steps toward acquiring power in the country’s political affairs. This article explores how this far-right leader has managed to stand out in the political crowd.

Matteo Salvini: Bridging the Gap Between Traditional and Digital Media
© https://www.politico.eu/list/politico-28-class-of-2019-the-ranking/matteo-salvini/

Matteo Salvini: Bridging the Gap Between Traditional and Digital Media

Paper
Anita Vrins
21/02/2022
11 minutes to read

Matteo Salvini is a prominent figure in Italian politics. Part of his influence comes from a successful combination of traditional and digital media advertising. In this article, it is discussed how Salvini manages to stay ahead of the competition.

Sylvana Simons at BLM rally in Utrecht (5 June 2020)
© Myrthe Minnaert

How Sylvana Simons Attempted To Reinvent Social Democracy

Article
Max Verhaar
27/10/2023
13 minutes to read

Sylvana Simons and one-seat party Bij1 prolonged the social democratic legacy. They reinvented it by using the algorithmic logic of the hybrid media system. By using emblematic cases, large uptake is generated. 

© Photo by Ehimetalor Akhere Unuabona on Unsplash

QAnon and how they remain visible in the hybrid media system

Article
Sophie Mols
15/01/2022
11 minutes to read

QAnon keeps succeeding in spreading its messages despite the efforts of social media to censor them. This article explores how the tactics they use, real-world events, and the current media landscape influence this.

Bolsonaro holding a cell phone with his right hand in front of his face
© Photo: Isaac Nobrega/O Globo

The hate machine: how Bolsonaro makes use of algorithmic knowledge

Article
Larissa Andrade Pereira
11/01/2022
15 minutes to read

This paper aims to illustrate how Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro - and his communication strategists also known as the “hate cabinet” - make use of algorithmic knowledge in order to circulate his message and ideology in the hybrid media system.