Analysis of fascism as a signifier in online editions of daily newspapers Danas and Informer

Abstract

The socio-political context in Serbia is oversaturated with ideologically charged resources utilised in the construction of populist identities, such as the semiotic network around the concept of ‘fascism’. The practices of signifying a ‘fascist’ threat have become more complex with the surge of multimodal digital platforms. The media combine various expressive repertoires in materialising the multiplicity of meaning. Thus, social semiotics serve as a fitting theoretical starting point. One of the objectives of the research is to identify the plurality of discourses floating around the constructed ‘fascist’ constellation. In this research, content published on the websites of Serbian daily newspapers Danas and Informer is examined. The label ‘fascist’ functions as an exclusionary strategy in both instances; however, there are differences in portraying ‘fascist’ actors and institutional responses to its destructive potential. Moreover, respective styles and presentations of information, such as tabloidisation, are used to further legitimise the reality of the ‘fascist’ threat.