In:
The International Journal of Press/Politics, SAGE Publications, Vol. 23, No. 4 ( 2018-10), p. 496-516
Abstract:
The persuasiveness of right-wing populist communication has become a widely discussed topic; it is often assumed that such messages might foster anti-immigrant attitudes among citizens. The present study explores the effects of the different components of right-wing populist communication—anti-immigrant messages, populist content, and populist style—on attitudes toward immigrants. By combining a media content analysis ( N = 605 articles) with a panel survey ( N = 1,968) in metropolitan areas of four Western European countries (France, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom), this study analyzes how citizens’ attitudes toward immigrants are influenced by the right-wing populist communication with which they are confronted in their individual media diet. The results show that anti-immigrant statements in the media lead to more negative cognitions toward immigrants, while populist content leads to more negative emotions. The study, thus, demonstrates that not only anti-immigrant rhetoric but also populism as a thin-centered ideology influence citizens’ attitudes toward immigrants on top of pre-existing attitudes.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1940-1612
,
1940-1620
DOI:
10.1177/1940161218788956
Language:
English
Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Publication Date:
2018
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2409833-4
SSG:
3,5
SSG:
3,6
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