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The Twittersphere: Populism and Securitization in Comparative Perspective - Turkey and the U.S.

Karaaytu, Hakan
http://orcid.org/0009-0000-5238-3099
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1709723075792426

Abstract Details

2024, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, Mass Communication (Communication).
This study addresses a notable gap in the existing literature by investigating the securitization processes employed by populist politicians through social media channels. Focusing on the social media accounts of two prominent NATO member country leaders, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Turkey and Donald Trump of the United States, the research analyzes posts that incorporate both populist and security-related themes on Twitter. The central objectives are to ascertain the frequency of such posts, identify the prevalent themes, and explore the similarities and differences in the detected themes across the twelve months of the last two election periods. The collected data underwent chronological organization to discern patterns in the frequency of these posts. For each sub-theme, the researcher selected tweets that most strongly represented the theme, subjecting them to thematic analysis. The findings indicate a heightened frequency of securitizing tweets by populist politicians as the elections get closer. Both leaders demonstrated engagement with the identified themes, revealing a nuanced approach that is influenced by their distinct linguistic and political-cultural backgrounds. Notably, the study unveils instances where these politicians, despite differing languages and political cultures, framed certain issues similarly while adopting communication methods incongruent with each other's framing styles. This research contributes valuable insights into the intersection of populism, securitization, and political communications, shedding light on the nuanced dynamics observed in the online discourse of populist leaders from diverse geopolitical contexts.
Jatin Srivastava (Advisor)
Benjamin LaPoe (Committee Member)
Amy Chadwick (Committee Member)
Nukhet Sandal (Committee Member)
129 p.
Communication; Journalism; Mass Communications; Mass Media
populism; securitization; political communication; social media; Twitter

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Karaaytu, H. (2024). The Twittersphere: Populism and Securitization in Comparative Perspective - Turkey and the U.S. [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1709723075792426

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Karaaytu, Hakan. The Twittersphere: Populism and Securitization in Comparative Perspective - Turkey and the U.S. 2024. Ohio University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1709723075792426.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Karaaytu, Hakan. "The Twittersphere: Populism and Securitization in Comparative Perspective - Turkey and the U.S." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio University, 2024. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1709723075792426

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ohiou1709723075792426
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© 2024, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Ohio University and OhioLINK.