The Social Construction of Right-Wing Reality

Abstract

How do right-wing news media influence contemporary politics and political cultures? We suggest that two poles structure much of the popular and scholarly discourse attempting to explain this influence. On one hand, a disinformation approach treats right-wing media as a vector for falsehoods or propaganda imposed on gullible audiences. On the other hand, a selective-exposure or cultural-mirror approach posits right-wing media as a reflection of audiences’ preexisting resentments and beliefs. Here we argue for a third approach that centers right-wing media’s role in social meaning making. This approach emphasizes the ritualistic functions of news media and relationships media voices have with individual consumers and communities, social networks, and group meaning-making practices. We explore three key dimensions of influence of right-wing news that come into view through this lens: mobilizing identities, cultivating deep stories, and supporting epistemic interdependence.