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Governing Emotions : Hybrid media, Ontological Insecurity and the Normalisation of Far-Right Fantasies

Kisic Merino, Pasko and Kinnvall, Catarina LU (2023) In Alternatives 48(1).
Abstract

Focusing on the debates on ‘due impartiality’ provided to far-right leaders in Swedish media, this article uses a Lacanian approach to address the relationship between the practices of normalisation of far-right discourses and fantasies, and the evolution of emotional governance at the interstice of old (i.e. traditional) and new (e.g. social media) media. Emotional governance refers to the everyday emotionally charged utterances and statements made by political leaders. However, this phenomenon can also be read in a larger Foucauldian sense as techniques of surveillance, control and manipulation and as related to narrative representational fantasies. Studies dealing with the normalisation of far-right discourse from a media perspective... (More)

Focusing on the debates on ‘due impartiality’ provided to far-right leaders in Swedish media, this article uses a Lacanian approach to address the relationship between the practices of normalisation of far-right discourses and fantasies, and the evolution of emotional governance at the interstice of old (i.e. traditional) and new (e.g. social media) media. Emotional governance refers to the everyday emotionally charged utterances and statements made by political leaders. However, this phenomenon can also be read in a larger Foucauldian sense as techniques of surveillance, control and manipulation and as related to narrative representational fantasies. Studies dealing with the normalisation of far-right discourse from a media perspective tend to focus on framing, journalistic norms, market structures and business incentives. We aim to expand these perspectives by opening a discussion on the interplay between the ontological (in)securities attached to the emotional governance of far-right leaders, and the techno-social affordances and roles provided to (and by) ‘old’ and ’new’ actors in the hybrid media ecosystem. We further analyse this interplay by looking at the particular fantasies embedded in it and the consequences of the enactment of ‘due impartiality' and equal footing’ norms and practices in the Swedish media landscape.

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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
emotional governance, far-right, hybrid media systems, Lacan, ontological security, political influencers, social media
in
Alternatives
volume
48
issue
1
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85141427993
ISSN
0304-3754
DOI
10.1177/03043754221123467
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
8e1443a8-e734-41a8-b9b3-335677ae4812
date added to LUP
2022-12-20 16:31:45
date last changed
2023-03-31 13:44:13
@article{8e1443a8-e734-41a8-b9b3-335677ae4812,
  abstract     = {{<p>Focusing on the debates on ‘due impartiality’ provided to far-right leaders in Swedish media, this article uses a Lacanian approach to address the relationship between the practices of normalisation of far-right discourses and fantasies, and the evolution of emotional governance at the interstice of old (i.e. traditional) and new (e.g. social media) media. Emotional governance refers to the everyday emotionally charged utterances and statements made by political leaders. However, this phenomenon can also be read in a larger Foucauldian sense as techniques of surveillance, control and manipulation and as related to narrative representational fantasies. Studies dealing with the normalisation of far-right discourse from a media perspective tend to focus on framing, journalistic norms, market structures and business incentives. We aim to expand these perspectives by opening a discussion on the interplay between the ontological (in)securities attached to the emotional governance of far-right leaders, and the techno-social affordances and roles provided to (and by) ‘old’ and ’new’ actors in the hybrid media ecosystem. We further analyse this interplay by looking at the particular fantasies embedded in it and the consequences of the enactment of ‘due impartiality' and equal footing’ norms and practices in the Swedish media landscape.</p>}},
  author       = {{Kisic Merino, Pasko and Kinnvall, Catarina}},
  issn         = {{0304-3754}},
  keywords     = {{emotional governance; far-right; hybrid media systems; Lacan; ontological security; political influencers; social media}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Alternatives}},
  title        = {{Governing Emotions : Hybrid media, Ontological Insecurity and the Normalisation of Far-Right Fantasies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/03043754221123467}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/03043754221123467}},
  volume       = {{48}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}