Right-wing populism and authoritarianism

theoretical notes for studies on populist communication

Abstract

In this article, I undertake a literature review on populism based on works centered on ideology and communication in order to discuss the relationship between populist communication, authoritarianism, and the  far-right populism that have emerged in recent years in different countries. I aim to  highlight the connection between populist communication and authoritarianism as the preferred key of interpretation for far-right media-populist phenomena in countries experiencing different social and political contexts such as Italy and Brazil. Finally, I discuss the contributions of different approaches to understanding populist communication for illiberal and authoritarian purposes.