Melanie Radue at the Populist Backlashes around the World: The Role of Media and Communication

The international conference "Populist Backlashes around the World: The Role of Media and Communication" took place November 13-14, 2025, at the University of Erfurt as the annual meeting of the International and Intercultural Communication Division of the German Communication Association (DGPuK). The conference examined how media systems worldwide – from democracies to hybrid and autocratic regimes – contribute to or resist populist movements, exploring phenomena ranging from right-wing populism to authoritarian backlashes in Africa, Europe, Southeast Asia or the US. The conference featured keynote session by Cherian George “Rethinking the Resistance: Responding to Hate and Polarization” did not only look into the dark side of current developments but also highlighted projects and strategies bringing more light into it. Melanie Radue presented her project in which she (together with Gayathry Venkiteswaran) compares polarizing moral panics and the mechanics of how populists exploit societal anomie and media logics for their success.