The Sweden Democrats and the Twitterstorm of the decade – from social media to riot through a rhetorical vision

Mika Hietanen

doi:10.29107/rr2023.4.2

Res Rhetorica Dec 2023 OA PDF

The Sweden Democrats and the Twitterstorm of the decade – from social media to riot through a rhetorical vision

Mika Hietanen Lund University

Abstract

Amidst the European migrant crisis, a provocative advertisement campaign by the far-right party the Sweden Democrats was destroyed by a mob. No other campaign in Sweden had attracted a similar amount of attention and resentment. This qualitative case study analyses the activism rhetoric that caused the ‘Twitterstorm’ of the decade. Through a fantasy theme analysis, it determines how the protesters defended their anti-racist rhetorical vision. Action themes connected to fantasy types and symbolic cues provoked the Twittersphere, leading activists to destroy the campaign, transcending the virtual for the physical. This event is a paradigm case for rhetorical-political social media activism and gives insight into how the SD’s provocative rhetoric functions.

Journal: Res Rhetorica
Published: 2023-12-31
DOI: 10.29107/rr2023.4.2
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Topics: rhetorical criticism qualitative research social media
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The Sweden Democrats and the Twitterstorm of the decade – from social media to riot through a rhetorical vision

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