politics

How propaganda works in the hybrid media system

Article
Ania Borkusewicz
07/01/2022
18 minutes to read

They catch our attention, waste time, and bombard us with clickbaity titles whenever we scroll social media: junk and fake news are significant problems of today's internet. This article shows how they can be used to spread propaganda.

Democracy and the 'Shit You Should Care About'

Article
Iris Dumoulin
07/01/2022
11 minutes to read

In the ever-changing media landscape, the distribution of news is now also taking place online. Instagram accounts like 'Shit You Should Care About' are now participating in this distribution. What does this online presence mean for democracy?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortéz in her TAX THE RICH dress at the Met Gala 2021

TAX THE RICH: mainstreaming in political discourses online

Article
Ruben den Boer
24/12/2021
13 minutes to read

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s TAX THE RICH dress was a treat for political meme creators around the world. But the memes did more than just give us a chuckle. They made us talk about American politics, socialism, and anti-capitalism. How? 

Victor Orban

Viktor Orbán: An Authoritarian Right Under Europe’s Nose

Article
Ot van de Rijzen
04/11/2022
10 minutes to read

This article provides a breakdown of Orbán's political ideology, a look into his presentation in different media landscapes, and an analysis of his use of big organizing and his role in regard to algorithmic populism and activism.

Spotting fake news for your media literacy

Column
Nataliia Vdovychenko
21/11/2021
6 minutes to read

Is it 'fake news', junk news, misinformation, malinformation, or disinformation? This column is going to sum up the ways in which we can critically evaluate and distinguish the types of misleading information on our (social) media timelines.

How the Eurovision Song Contest is political

Article
Beatrijs de Coninck
29/06/2021
8 minutes to read

This essay will focus on how this Eurovision can be seen as a political and intermedial event, and how the music contest, besides entertainment, is used as political influence worldwide.

neo racism and banal nationalism of the AFD

How the AFD tries to divide Germany

Article
Nathalie Schabio
13/02/2021
12 minutes to read

Germany is in a fight against racism since the second world war. However, the increasing popularity of the right party AFD is challenging the goal of achieving equality. Neo-racism and banal nationalism aggravate the political and social climate.

White Genocide conspiracy theory

The white genocide conspiracy theory

Article
Nataliia Vdovychenko
13/01/2021
15 minutes to read

The white genocide conspiracy theory refers to a spread far-right belief that white populations are gradually being replaced with non-whites. How did this theory originate and how has it gained momentum online?