Abstract
Political memes are no longer (only) a humorous feature of internet culture, but also act as a vehicle for information diffusion and reimaging of politics. Using a mixed-methodology approach, combining content analysis, descriptive statistics, and social network analysis, this study unravels the complex dynamics of political memes within the Romanian context, uncovering how memes reflect and shape political narratives. By focusing on the political discourse surrounding the 2020 Romanian parliamentary elections, this research highlights the underlying power dynamics and themes prevalent within the Romanian political landscape. The study finds that memes frequently amplify the visibility of incumbent political actors from governing parties, unveiling their symbolic importance. Memes also tend to reflect salient themes and issues, such as corruption and incompetence, serving as a means of criticizing the personal attributes of politicians and overshadowing policy matters. Finally, the analysis reveals the intricate web of political affiliations formed through cross-cutting communities within the emerging subthemes of the meme corpus. Overall, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of memes as a driving force for political commentary, framing, and engagement.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 551-578 |
| Journal | Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe (JCCEE) |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| Early online date | 15 Nov 2024 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 31 Dec 2024 |
Acknowledgements
In the convoluted world of academia, where we often find ourselves lost in the maze of references and concepts, I’d like to take a moment to express my gratitude to the dynamic duo formed by Dr Iulia Cioroianu and Professor Hilde Coffe. You both have guided me through the labyrinth of research like a GPS of scholarly wisdom. To my best friend who not only has become my dedicated supplier of motivational memes but has witnessed my mental acrobatics, acting as my official crisis manager, always ready to rescue me from the academic abyss. And to my parents, for your unspoken support, I promise to finally explain what I’ve been researching all these years – perhaps with fewer complicated words and more memes! Cheers to you all for supporting me on this academic ride!Funding
The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.