New book explores the rise of populism and its threat to journalism and democracy.
A compelling new publication, Pandering to Populism? Journalism and Politics in a Post-truth Age, unpacks the global rise of populism and its disruptive effects on democracy and journalism.
Edited by John Mair, Tor Clark, Neil Fowler, Raymond Snoddy
and Richard Tait, and co-authored by 39 leading international
journalists and academics, the volume offers a timely, in-depth
exploration of how populist movements around the world are
reshaping political discourse and media practices.
Lead editor John Mair said: “Driven by economic discontent,
cultural anxiety and a backlash against perceived elite detachment, populism has gained momentum in many democracies. While often labelled far-right, populist leaders like Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen, and Viktor Orbán present diverse ideologies. What unites them is a claim to represent ‘the people’ against entrenched powers, challenging the very foundations of liberal democracy.”
The book highlights how media institutions are struggling to
respond. Traditional journalism faces the dual challenge of countering
misinformation while resisting the lure of sensationalism. With
populists adept at using social media to bypass traditional channels, journalists must navigate a complex environment without compromising ethical standards or public trust.
The authors call for renewed journalistic integrity, emphasising fact-based reporting, diversity of thought and democratic accountability. As the author of the book’s foreword, Sir Trevor Phillips, notes: “Meeting the populist challenge requires not only clear-eyed reporting but also a deeper understanding of the societal forces at play.”
This critical volume urges journalists, academics and policymakers to reflect and act, ensuring the media remain a bulwark for democracy in an era of political upheaval.
Pandering to Populism? Journalism and Politics in a Post-truth
Age is published by Bite-Sized Books and is available now on
Amazon books – https://tinyurl.com/3amvtvzn
Contact:
John Mair – johnmair100@hotmail.com
Julian Costley – Bite-Sized Books – julian.costley@bite-sizedbooks.com
Editors and Contributors:
Pandering to Populism? – Journalism
and Politics in a Post-truth Age. Edited
by John Mair, Tor Clark, Neil Fowler,
Raymond Snoddy and Richard Tait
Foreword: Populism and the media: Observers or advocates?
Sir Trevor Phillips, presenter, Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Sky News
Section 1: Setting the scene: Journalism and politics 2015-2025
Introduction: Pandering to populism?
Richard Tait, Professor of Journalism Cardiff University, former editor in chief ITN
1. Are Reform voters populist?
Sir John Curtice, Professor of Politics, Strathclyde University
2. Mainstream politics has failed to address the causes of populist success
David Cowling, senior visiting research fellow, King’s College, London
3. How far is far? Mainstreaming radical right populism
Julian Petley, Emeritus and Honorary Professor of Journalism, Brunel University, London
4. The struggle for mastery in Europe
James Mates, Europe Editor, ITV News
5. Drones, democracies and the dangers to press freedom
Elena Cosentino, director of the International News Safety Institute
Section 2: The United Kingdom: 2015-2025 46
Introduction: Populism vs journalism
Tor Clark, Associate Professor in Journalism, University of Leicester
6. Losing growth and shared truth: The new politics
Gary Gibbon, political editor, Channel 4 News
7. How Nigel Farage and Reform UK finally achieved their big breakthrough
Gawain Towler, former director of communications at Ukip, the Brexit Party and Reform UK
8. Re-asserting their impartiality: Assessing political coverage in UK broadcast media
Stephen Cushion, Professor at the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff, University
9. Acquiesce or stand firm? Journalism’s big choice
Roger Mosey, Master of Selwyn College, Cambridge and a deputy vice chancellor of Cambridge University
10. No honeymoon as the right-wing press goes to war with victorious Labour
John Mair, editor of Hackademic series, former television producer
11. Push back
Idil Osman, Lecturer in Media and Communication, University of Leicester
Section 3: A disunited kingdom
Introduction: Populism and journalism in the UK’s nations and regions Neil Fowler, Former Editor of 4 regional newspapers
12. Local democracy under real threat
Tor Clark, Associate Professor in Journalism, University of Leicester
13. ‘Sleep-walking to misreporting’
Barnie Choudhury, editor-at-large, Eastern Eye, Lecturer in Journalism, University of East Anglia
14. About turn! Is Labour about to lose Wales?
Martin Shipton, Associate Editor of Nation.Cymru, formerly Political Editor At-Large, Western Mail
15. Scotland: Before its time Maurice Smith, former newspaper and broadcast journalist and documentary
producer
16. Loyalist populism in Northern Ireland: Blind faith?
Steven McCabe, former Associate Professor, Birmingham City University
Section 4: North America 2015-2025 132
Introduction: Traditional media-politics relations under threat
Raymond Snoddy, former media editor, Financial Times and The Times
17. Pollsters didn’t get the 2024 US Presidential election so badly wrong
Peter Kellner, founder, polling organisation YouGov
18. The movement that no-one (except Trump supporters) saw coming
Angela Antetomaso, journalist, TV anchor and show host
19. Fake news and lügenpresse – the populist playbook in action
Stewart Purvis, former Editor-in-Chief and Chief Executive of ITN
20. The Trump era: Fostering an environment of media suppression
Philip John Davies, Emeritus Professor of American Studies, De Montfort University, Leicester
21. Trump 2.0 and the (re)construction of US journalism
Timothy Neff, Lecturer in Journalism, University of Leicester
22. Can journalism survive the second Trump era?
Bill Dunlop, former senior programme editor, Channel 4 News, former President Eurovision Americas, Inc.
23. Podcasts as the new political stage
Maxwell Modell, PhD candidate, Cardiff University School of Journalism, Media and Culture
24. An unequal battle: news checkers vs the publishers
Steven Brill, US lawyer, journalist and entrepreneur, founder The American Lawyer magazine
25. Canada: Elbows up in the lonely corner
James Egan, former Senior Advisory Partner, Global Immigration for EY, based in Toronto
Section 5: Pandering to populism?
Introduction: In the end, what does it all mean?
John Mair, editor of Hackademic series, former television producer
26. Talking hard about BBC News
Raymond Snoddy, former media editor, Financial Times and The Times
27. ‘Defund the BBC?’ – a survival strategy for public service media in the age of populism
Richard Tait, Professor of Journalism Cardiff University, former editor in chief ITN
28. What do we mean by populism?
John Lloyd, former Financial Times journalist, former New Statesman editor
29. UK television has relied too much on America for innovation, time for change
John Ryley, former head of Sky News
30. Elon Musk and his war on journalism
Sean Dodson, postgraduate course director of journalism and public relations, Leeds Beckett University
31. Challenging the rise of empty political rhetoric in the age of populism
Joseph Andrew Smith, Lecturer in Journalism, University of Leicester
32. Populism: A snobbish term of abuse which betrays the prejudices of the writer
Robin Aitken, columnist, Daily Telegraph
33. Populism goes TikTok: the German experience Maximilian Eder and
Jörg Haßler, Department of Media and Communication, LMU Munich, Germany.
34. Credibility, credulity and journalism in a time of crisis
Jelani Cobb, Dean, Columbia Journalism School, USA
35. Present-day journalism refuses to die
Sue Brooks, chair, National Council for the Training of Journalists, UK
Afterword
Nightmare on Downing Street: What Reform UK success means to UK politics
Paul Connew, former editor, Sunday Mirro