Overview

"From the start of Barack Obama's presidency in 2009, conservative populist groups began fomenting political fractiousness, dissent, and surprising electoral success. The Tea Party was one of the major characters driving this story. But, as Khadijah Costley White argues in this book, the Tea Party's ascent to major political phenomenon can be attributed to the way in which partisan and non-partisan news outlets ""branded"" the Party as a pot-stirrer in political conflicts over race, class, and gender. In other words, the news media played a major role in developing, cultivating, and promoting populism's brand, particularly within the news spaces of commentary and opinion. Through the language of political marketing, branding, and promotion, the news media not only reported on the Tea Party, but also acted as its political strategist and brand consultant. Moreover, the conservative press acted more as a political party than a news medium, deliberately promoting the Tea Party, and aiding in organizing, headlining, and galvanizing a conservative political base around specific Tea Party candidates, values, and events. In a media environment in which everyone has the opportunity to tune out, tune in, and speak back, The Branding of Right-Wing Activism ultimately shows that distinctions between citizens, journalists, activists, politicians, celebrities, and consumers are more symbolic than concrete."

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9780190879358

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Reviews

Finally, a thoughtful and reflective account of the ways in which the mainstream media played an important role--unwittingly or not--in the astonishing rise of Donald Trump and the confusing fog of fake news and 'alternative' facts. -- Ken Burns, filmmaker This book is essential reading for anyone interested in politics, and anyone reconciling the 2010 political climate and the rise of the Tea Party to the present day American politics norm. Khadijah Costley White helps us to better understand the Tea Party, Donald Trump, the 'alt-right' and the modern day Republican Party. This book contributes to the literature on how the media moves forward in the era of Fake News, where right-wing bloggers are considered journalists, mainstream journalism is called fake and the first amendment is under constant attack. The books helps us remember and decode what we have to go through in the next media era. -- Karine Jean-Pierre, Deputy Battleground States Director, 2012 Obama campaign This book comes at an urgent moment, and we are so fortunate to have White as an expert guide, mapping this complex cultural terrain, reminding us that in order to be a viable political presence in contemporary US culture, one must craft a successful political brand. -Sarah Banet-Weiser, Professor, London School of Economics and Political Science

Author Information

Khadijah Costley White is Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Studies at Rutgers University. She has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Root, Huffington Post, BBC, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Los Angeles Times, Quartz, Gizmodo, and Buzzfeed.

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