Right Wing Co-option of the Perceived Authenticity of Citizen Journalism

Abstract

The author explores questions of authenticity in the media industry by showing how right-wing media figures look to present their views as authentic by defining themselves as citizen journalists and positioning themselves in opposition to mainstream media. Looking at two case studies from the United States, Andrew Breitbart and Mike Cernovich, the author shows how the language of citizen journalism (amateurism, independence, immediacy) is co-opted by such figures to appeal to increasingly distrustful and antagonistic conservative media audiences.

Citation

Roberts, J. (2022), "Right Wing Co-option of the Perceived Authenticity of Citizen Journalism", Heřmanová, M., Skey, M. and Thurnell-Read, T. (Ed.) Cultures of Authenticity, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 287-299. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-936-220221022