The neo-fascist discourse and its normalisation through mediation

ABSTRACT In this article, I set out to deconstruct the main nodal points of the neo-fascist discourse, using a multi-cultural political discourse analysis of Trump and Modi. Subsequently, mechanisms of the normalisation of the neo- fascist discourse will be discussed. I will argue that mediation plays a pivotal role in this process, which implicates both traditional as well as social media. Central to the normalisation of neo-fascism is a politics of provocation and a deep-rooted cultivation of victimhood. Whereas media and neo fascist politics often operate in an antagonistic relationship, neo-fascists create drama, emotion and consternation, which works well in the context of the current business model of media. Likewise, social media also profit from the self-mediation practices of neo-fascism. Using radical democratic theory and normative media and communication theory, I argue that journalists and social media companies have a moral duty to combat neo-fascism and its normalisation.