Mainstream or an alternate universe? Locating and analysing the radical right media products in the Hungarian media network

Authors

  • Gabriella Szabó Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Science
  • Márton Bene Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Science

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17356/ieejsp.v1i1.30
Abstract Views: 818 PDF Downloads: 1144

Abstract

Despite voluminous literature explaining the emergence and the electoral contours of right wing radicalism in Europe, little is known about the location of radical right mass communication channels in the media sphere. The aim of this article is to fill the gap by identifying and analysing the positions of the radical right media within the network structure of the general media sphere. To do so, Hungary is an excellent illustrative case as a country in which the radical right wing Jobbik party won 21 percent of the votes in the 2014 parliamentary election that cemented its status as by far the largest radical right group in Central Europe. We provide an issue-centred approach in which the media networks of two of the most controversial political topics of the year 2014 in Hungarian politics are explored. To compose the networks, we concentrate on the interaction ties that are defined here as direct, and explicit citations or hyperlinks to the content of other media products. The empirical test of ideal typical networks reveals that the radical right products stay under the radar of the mainstream media. It is our finding that the representatives of the radical media remain on the fringe of the media sphere in Hungary.

Author Biography

Gabriella Szabó, Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Science

Gabriella Szabó (PhD) is a full-time researcher at Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences. Her research interests lie in the area of political communication and communities, studies on public sphere and media.

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Published

2015-03-14

How to Cite

[1]
Szabó, G. and Bene, M. 2015. Mainstream or an alternate universe? Locating and analysing the radical right media products in the Hungarian media network. Intersections. East European Journal of Society and Politics. 1, 1 (Mar. 2015). DOI:https://doi.org/10.17356/ieejsp.v1i1.30.