What the study found
The study found that journalists’ responses to the far right in Germany were shaped by a mix of self-imposed pressure, external pressure from the far right, and institutional constraints. These responses, according to the findings, contributed to the mainstreaming of the far right.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that the study helps explain the challenges and opportunities journalists face when responding to the far right in liberal democracies. The findings indicate this is relevant because mainstream actors, including the media, can affect how far-right ideas gain wider societal acceptance.
What the researchers tested
The article develops a framework to analyse the rationales behind journalists’ responses to the far right, ranging from accommodation to a media cordon sanitaire, meaning a deliberate refusal to give a political movement routine media legitimacy. It then applies this framework to Germany using semi-structured interviews with editors-in-chief, political editors, and journalists reporting on the far right from different media outlets and regions.
What worked and what didn't
The findings highlight that a combination of self-imposed and external pressure from the far right, alongside institutional constraints, prompted journalists to adopt responses that contributed to the mainstreaming of the far right. The abstract does not describe any response that clearly prevented mainstreaming.
What to keep in mind
The study is based on interviews in Germany, so its empirical scope is limited to that context. The abstract does not provide detailed limitations beyond the study’s focus on journalists and the far right in a specific national setting.
Key points
- Journalists in Germany responded to the far right under self-imposed pressure, external pressure, and institutional constraints.
- These responses contributed to the mainstreaming of the far right, according to the findings.
- The article develops a framework ranging from accommodation to a media cordon sanitaire.
- The empirical study uses semi-structured interviews with editors and journalists covering the far right.
- The abstract does not report a response that clearly prevented mainstreaming.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Journalists’ responses helped mainstream the far right in Germany
- Publication date:
- 2026-02-15
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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