Emotions, Media and Politics

Emotions have long been neglected in media research, although their role is a vital ingredient in shaping our shared stories and the ways we engage with them.But emotions, as they circulate through the media, can also be divisive and exclusionary.

Karin Wahl-Jorgensen makes the case for researching the role of emotions in mediated politics. Drawing on a series of studies, she explores the complex relationship between emotions, politics and media. The book includes analyses of how Facebook structures emotional reactions; the anger of Donald Trump; the use of personal storytelling in feminist Twitter hashtags; the role of emotionality in award-winning journalism; and the communities created by political fandoms.

Essential reading for scholars and students, this important volume opens up new ways of thinking about and researching emotions, media and politics.

Keywords: emotions, media and public life; emotions; media; public life; politics; participation; journalism, Communication Studies, Political Communication, Communication Studies, Political Communication