CRCC to host ‘The charm of illiberalism? Media and the rising alternatives to democracy’
The charm of illiberalism? Media and the rising alternatives to democracy
Date: November 20, 2024
Time: 3:00-5:00pm
Location: Brockington Building, Room U.0.0.5, Loughborough University and Online
On 5 November 2024, a new president will be elected in the United States. The stakes for these elections are high — would it mark the return of former President Trump’s illiberal politics? Or will it reflect the generation change in the democratic party, fuelled by the chemistry and charm of Vice President Harris and Governor Waltz?
Two weeks later, on 20 November, we will convene to celebrate the publication of two significant books in sociology, media and political communication: The Illiberal Public Sphere: Media in Polarized Societies by Václav Štetka and Sabina Mihelj (2024, Palgrave Macmillan) and Charm: How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics by Julia Sonnevend (2024, Princeton University Press). The books offer complementary perspectives on the growing appeal of alternatives to democracy. While Štetka and Mihelj investigate how cultural values and state institutions are being reshaped to constitute an illiberal public sphere, Sonnevend focuses on the personification of global politics, illuminating how the magnetic appeal of charming leaders can reframe their public persona and the international brand of their nations.
The fascination with illiberal ideas and charming leaders is fused in the media. It is where old values are renegotiated, often leading to prejudices manifested in xenophobia or homophobia. The battle over legacy media ownership is where ideological power struggles play out; when triumphant, illiberal regimes can use state-owned media to manipulate public opinion. Political leaders use social media to construct themselves as authentic representatives of ordinary people, dangerously demarcating those who disagree with them as enemies of the state in illiberal settings. They can perform their nation’s soft power to journalists through smiles and friendly gestures, even if they have no intention of adhering to liberal values. Please join us for a seminar meeting with the authors of the books, followed by a response by Dr Burçe Çelik, who will situate the books’ contributions within scholarship on media, political and social change.
The event will be hybrid and will occur between 3 and 5 p.m. on November 20, 2024, in room U.0.0.5 in the Brockington Building at Loughborough University and will be followed by a social event.
For online attendance please register using this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-charm-of-illiberalism-media-and-the-rising-alternatives-to-democracy-online-tickets-1034696544217?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
For in-person attendance please register using this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-charm-of-illiberalism-media-and-the-rising-alternatives-to-democracy-tickets-1034689192227?aff=erelpanelorg