Facing both ways: Exploring how digital ideological entrepreneurs thrive in the ‘grey area’ between legitimacy and illegitimacy

Digital ideological entrepreneurs, navigating the democratised and engagement-driven landscape of the Internet, epitomise the disruption of a once relatively stable social fabric. They diversify public discourse by crafting and disseminating charged political content online, often establishing their ideologies through registered organisations. Particularly pervasive are those in the conspiratorial realm, who, by challenging established knowledge and alluding to hidden clandestine forces, contribute significantly to the erosion of a collective sense of truth. Despite their contentious nature, they gain credibility across wide audiences. To better understand their success, this study draws from recent scholarship on legitimacy theory, specifically theorisations concerning the 'grey area' between legitimacy and illegitimacy, including the state of ‘polarised legitimacy’, where such entities arguably reside. We conduct a micro-level analysis of a UK organisation headed by a prominent ideological entrepreneur, through which we examine the discursive legitimation strategies employed via its social media channels. Working findings suggest that the organisation’s success hinges on 'Janus-work', a simultaneous presentation of two social identities achieved through the delicate interplay of four core discursive legitimation strategies: 'populist rhetoric' and 'divisive storytelling' resonate with dedicated followers, while 'neutralising discourse' and 'dissociation' appeal to mainstream audiences. The research thus advances our understanding of legitimacy theory and ideological entrepreneurship in the digital age, with implications for both theory and practice.