Meme-Ing Waves: unpacking political narratives in the Romanian context

Mihaela-Georgiana Mihăilescu

Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, 2024, vol. 32, issue 3, 551-578

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.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1080/25739638.2024.2426330

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