Mainstreaming populism

Listen to our latest episode of Double Take where we dive into the complex and timely topic of populism—its roots, its rise, and its ripple effects across politics and media.

As Alena noted in our last newsletter, throughout the recent federal election campaign, the Liberal Party and its leader oscillated between alignment with and distance from Donald Trump, which became a key narrative reinforcing voter distrust. Voters rejected the Coalition’s narrative, which led us to question to whether news media played a role in challenging Peter Dutton’s flirtation with right-wing Trumpian populism?

We took a close look and carried out a systematic analysis of media framing—focusing on coverage from the ABC, The Australian, and Sydney Morning Herald. What we found was interesting: the media portrayed Dutton’s version of right-wing populism in a few key ways—as a political miscalculation or opportunistic move, as a threat, as a tool to stoke division, or simply as the product of incompetence.

In this Double Take episode, Alena is joined by Dr. Jay Daniel Thompson, a freelance journalist and Senior Lecturer of Professional Communication in the School of Media and Communication at RMIT University. Jay’s research explores the intersections of journalism, networked disinformation, digital hostility, and media ethics.

Jay defines populism as a grievance-based movement that often simplifies complex issues and fuels polarisation. And he distinguishes between left- and right-wing populism, noting the dominance of the radical right—particularly Trumpian populism—and its limited left-wing counterpart in Australia. Alena and Jay also explore the role media plays in amplifying or challenging populist narratives, with Peter Dutton’s Australian campaign in the spotlight.