Media coverage of shifting emotional regimes: Donald Trump’s angry populism

Abstract

Against the backdrop of the new populism, this article takes a closer look at the role of anger in media coverage of Trump’s inauguration. The article suggests that Trump’s rise heralds a shift in prevailing ‘emotional regime’ towards what I will refer to as ‘angry populism’. Angry populism – embodied by Trump – is based on a rhetoric which seeks broad appeal through the deliberate expression of anger. Adopted as an interpretive framework in media coverage, it suggests that the anger of Trump, his supporters and his opponents is both salient and relevant to political life.