Populist communication, fake news and the problem of misperceptions

Photo: Elin Iversen/ NTNU’

Populist communication, fake news and the problem of misperceptions

In order to understand the recent success of populist movements, parties, and politicians, we need to understand the way populist messages are communicated and perceived. How does populist communication influence democratic political life? Who uses fake news as a political weapon, and why does this form of misinformation spread so quickly online? How do we deal with the fact that misperceptions distort public preferences and outcomes, when corrective efforts often make misperceptions worse or decrease the likelihood to engage in desired behaviors?