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Conspiracies, Ideological Entrepreneurs, and Digital Popular Culture
[journal article]
Abstract This contribution starts from the contemporary surge in conspiracism to develop a theoretical framework to understand how conspiracy theories make it from the margins to the mainstream. To this end, it combines a view of conspiracy theories as ideology and its propagandists as ideological entreprene... view more
This contribution starts from the contemporary surge in conspiracism to develop a theoretical framework to understand how conspiracy theories make it from the margins to the mainstream. To this end, it combines a view of conspiracy theories as ideology and its propagandists as ideological entrepreneurs with insights into how the affordances of digital media and popular culture are instrumental in propagating the conspiracy theories. It further complements sociological and psychological explanations with a fandom perspective to grasp the diversity of conspiracy audiences. Together, it is argued, these factors allow ideological entrepreneurs to push conspiracy theories from the margins to the mainstream. Alex Jones and QAnon are discussed as cases in point.... view less
Classification
General Sociology, Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Sociology, Sociological Theories
Free Keywords
Alex Jones; QAnon; alternative media; conspiracy theories; digital popular culture; ideological entrepreneurs; popular culture
Document language
English
Publication Year
2021
Page/Pages
p. 179-188
Journal
Media and Communication, 9 (2021) 3
Issue topic
From Sony's Walkman to RuPaul's Drag Race: A Landscape of Contemporary Popular Culture
ISSN
2183-2439
Status
Published Version; peer reviewed