Populism and Communication

The contribution aims, in its first part, at framing the populist phenomenon from the point of view of historical and political evolution of two interrelated processes: the praise of the direct representation of the popular will and the criticism and delegitimization of the elite. These processes find a sudden acceleration at the time of disintermediation, which clearly demonstrates its dual nature as an object of study between politics and communication. The ability of political leaders to bypass the traditional structures of mediation (from Parliament, in reference to political action, to the legacy media, in reference to the relationship with the public) becomes over time directly proportional to their ability to adapt to the media logic. In the age of the hybrid media system, therefore, the strength of the populist leader lies in a careful use of old and new media, according to strategic schemes and communicative styles that are summarized in the case studies selected in the second part of the contribution.