|
|
Disinformation as a Societal Phenomenon: A Case Study of Truth Decay in Slovakia
Húsková, Eva ; Bahenský, Vojtěch (advisor) ; Střítecký, Vít (referee)
The main purpose of this master's thesis is to offer a deeper understanding of disinformation trends and their causes in Slovakia by utilizing the theoretical and analytical framework of the concept of Truth Decay defined by the RAND Corporation in 2018. At the same time, the work also contributes to the exploration of the phenomenon of Truth Decay in general. The research stems from a premise that disinformation should not be strictly perceived as a tool of hybrid warfare. Hence, there is an increasing need to analyze disinformation as a wider societal problem that leaves its marks on society in different ways. Based on 11 expert interviews with professionals with different backgrounds (academia, think tanks, government institutions, security institutions, journalism, or psychology), this master's thesis consists of two main analytical chapters. The first one analyzes four trends of Truth Decay in a Slovak setting: an increasing disagreement about facts and analytical interpretations of facts and data; a blurring of the line between opinion and fact; an increase in the relative volume, and resulting influence, of opinion and personal experience over fact; and lowered trust in formerly respected sources of factual information. The second analytical chapter is focusing on possible drivers of these...
|
|
|
Trump vs. Babiš: Comparative case study of populist leadership, communication,and party politics in the post-Gutenberg era
Húsková, Eva ; Hornát, Jan (advisor) ; Fiřtová, Magdalena (referee)
The main purpose of this master thesis is to examine the concept of populism in the post- Gutenberg era. The research stems from a premise that the evolution of the political milieu and change of the media landscape implies a need for a different approach to analyzing populism. The decline of traditional political parties, the disappearance of political cleavages, and the personalization of politics precipitate the need to re-evaluate the debate about the right definition of populism. Based on a comparative case study of two leaders - Andrej Babiš and Donald Trump, this thesis examines how various theories of populism explain their behavior and tries to determine the most suitable option. Three definitions of populism are studied - populism as an ideology, populism as a discourse, and populism as a political style. While comparing political programs, discourse, and marketing strategies of both candidates, this thesis offers a complex insight into political campaigning on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, this research discusses the relationship between the concept of populism and personalized politics. These two concepts form a personalized leadership where the combination of populism and personality traits of the leader might influence the political programs, discourse, and marketing...
|
|
|
The phenomenon of the rise of the extreme right in France, a content-discursive comparative analysis of the National Front candidates in the presidential elections since 2002
Húsková, Eva ; Perottino, Michel (advisor) ; Komasová, Sarah (referee)
The aim of this bachelor's thesis is the comparison of two presidential candidates, representing the French extreme-right party called National Front since 2002. Over the last few years, the popularity of National Front has been rising - M. Le Pen got into second round of presidential elections in 2017 and also, the party has been obtaining more and more seats in Parliament as a result of legislative elections. This work analyzes the development of the National Front in correlation with the "dediabolization" concept - mechanisms, that aims to normalize its rhetoric (erasing xenophobic and racist remarks, islamophobia and antisemitism). The thesis is focusing on populist elements, which can be seen in the discourse, but also as an ideology promoted by presidential candidates - party leaders representing party interests and goals on a national level. The analysis is divided into two parts - first of all, it is a comparative content analysis of political programs from 2002, 2007, 2012 and 2017, based on four indicators, and in the second part, it is a discourse analysis of speeches from above-mentioned years. To conclude, the work summarizes the rhetorical refinement of M. Le Pen, in comparision with her father and the ways she presents information to the larger public (both in written, but also in...
|
guest ::
