Bonding over bashing: Discussing LGBTI topics in far-right alternative news media comments sections
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Emma Verhoeven
Abstract
This study investigates virtual community-building practices and discriminatory views in PAL NWS, a Dutch-speaking Belgian far-right alternative news medium, by examining discussions in the comments sections. Thematic analysis was applied to a total of 1,127 comments by 343 users in response to 50 articles about LGBTI topics. The findings show that far-right alternative news sites can function as virtual communities that facilitate polarization. The comments exhibited a high level of hostility towards LGBTI individuals, particularly toward transgender people and public displays of LGBTI inclusion. Furthermore, Muslims were homogeneously perceived as homophobes, and LGBTI topics were understood as (woke) ideological suppression by a dogmatic minority. The results of this study have implications for understanding the dynamics of comments sections on alternative media and the potential for far-right news platforms to facilitate the spread of intolerance.
Funding: This research was funded by the University of Antwerp’s research fund (BOF), project nr. 42176.
Acknowledgements: I would like to thank my doctoral supervisors Alexander Dhoest and Steve Paulussen as well as the two anonymous reviewers for their feedback on this article.
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