Towards A Model of How Populist Leaders Disappear from the Media

Abstract

Abstract Research shows that the media have been one decisive factor in the rise of the most high-profile populist leaders across Western democracies, but also that media attention can begin to dip when populists become established actors. However, the circumstances under which a populist leader can experience loss of media interest in him or her have not been theorized. Therefore, this article makes a contribution towards filling this gap. I offer an explorative and reflective analysis of the diverging political trajectories of Sarah Palin and Donald Trump as a means of suggesting circumstances under which a populist leader is likely to be upstaged by another populist leader taking over the public spotlight. However, this first cut at identifying relevant variables in such a scenario highlights serious conceptual, methodological, and theoretical considerations that must be confronted in future research taking on this research question, and that I deliberately sidestep in this analysis.