Populism and New Digital Tecnologies

a dangerous combination?

Abstract

Several studies have pointed out how new digital technologies have impacted political communication. The new emergence of populism seems to be closely associated with the spread of new digital technologies, in which populist leaders and organizations, predominantly conservative, seem to be using digital technologies to bypass traditional gatekeepers. However, even though populists demonstrate an excellent aptitude for handling new digital technologies, populism is not caused by them. It is argued in this paper that populists operate digital technologies to exploit a crisis scenario of democracy that is prior. It is crucial to understand the causes of the emergence and consolidation of populism, which requires addressing the debate of the crisis of capitalism.