Digital populism: How do algorithms shape propaganda discourse and the rise of political leaders?

In an era where technology and politics are intertwined, a new strategy has emerged as a decisive political force that has a major role in the political scene and its fluctuations, and we mean "digital populism" to redefine the relationship between leaders and the masses, as it takes advantage of the dynamics of the Internet, social media platforms and data analysis to enhance direct communication This article provides an analysis of digital populism, reviewing its definition, working mechanisms, effects, its shape in Arab and global society, its future challenges, and its impact on democracy....

What digital populism is...

Before the digital transformation, populism emerged as a political current that adopts a divisive discourse based on the binary of (pure people) versus (corrupt elite). This populism materialized in its traditional forms through parties or leaders who addressed popular bases in simple and emotional language, exploiting social and economic crises to enhance their popularity and present themselves as a direct voice of the "public will." However, after the digital transformation and the emergence of social networks as the "new public space," or the new digital space, populism redefined its tools and discourse, leading to the birth of a new type of populism - digital populism. However, after the digital transformation and the emergence of social networks as the "new public space," or the new digital space, populism redefined its tools and discourse, leading to the birth of a new type of populism: digital populism.

Digital populism is not just a continuation of classical populism in a new space, but a qualitative evolution in style, tools, and interactive structure. Digital platforms such as X, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube have provided an unprecedented opportunity for political leaders to bypass traditional media (parties, rallies, official media) and go directly to the public, in a communication that appears personal, instantaneous, and not subject to institutional censorship.

This new style is based on the use of digital tools such as memes, hashtags, live streaming and trends, to convey political messages that are quick to influence and easy to understand, and recent studies have shown that this discourse, when it is emotional, provocative, or based on fear, receives much higher interaction and spread than sober or existential discourse during rallies, giving populists a competitive advantage in the digital sphere and their benefit in keeping up with this digital exploitation.

In academic terms, digital populism can be understood as a thin ideology as categorized by Cas Mudde, but it is amplified and reframed within a digital environment that allows for the accelerated production and distribution of discourse, formulating a three-pillar populist frame theory:

- Identifying with the people as a unified mass

- Hostility to elites and institutions

- Capitalizing on crises to gain popular momentum

In this context, digital platforms show a tremendous ability to create Echo Chambers, in the American academic terminology, where supporters gather in closed circles that confirm their convictions and distance them from the other opinion, thus reinforcing political and social polarization. Thus, digital populism turns into a state of collective emotional charging to lead to further division under the cover of digital democracy and freedom of expression.

The role of the populist algorithm in creating the digital leader

Algorithmic populism is a new form of digital populism that has recently emerged, characterized by the exploitation of social media platforms to arouse mass emotions through algorithms to achieve paid political goals, this modern concept has benefited many political classes by forming an electronic army that defends and attacks to form an agenda monopolized by politicians, these means have made algorithms a tool and a polarizing means that tends to promote political content in an emotional language close to the environment of the weak agenda. Algorithms are a polarizing tool and method that tends to promote political content in an emotional language close to the weak agenda environment, which enabled it to contribute to the creation of a leader or leader who represents the will of the agenda and thus can create societal divisions between a recruited category that serves a specific political and ideological orientation and a category that has a moderate identity and discourse, which makes the algorithm a reason for the weakness of the democratic process....

Using technology as a political weapon.

Social media platforms such as X and Facebook are not just communication tools, they are digital political environments that act as an incubator for populism.

- Political decentralization, which allowed populist leaders to get out of the logic of power and presence to spread their messages in a language charged with discrimination and prejudice to gain as much digital interaction and likes as possible, turning the following audience into a digital conglomerate that contributes to directing populist discourse, bypassing the media institutions responsible for evaluating and monitoring the narrative and political action, and ironically, leaders became competing not by achievement and serving the citizen but by attracting the attention of the public through exciting messages.

- The instant spread and rapid response to the content provided by populists, where a single tweet can reach many gatherings and interact quickly compared to speeches given in public, this speed and interactivity reinforced their different and up-to-date presence compared to traditional politicians.

- The manipulation of mass emotion is the essence of modern populism, as the leader realizes that the masses are affected by emotional speech more than rational, so talking about election fraud and buying reputations or claims about a conspiracy against the political system achieves millions of views and the issue becomes an issue of public opinion because of the lack of confidence in state institutions, but when a development project that serves generations and enhances the status of the individual is rejected and neglected.

Do algorithms support populism? How? By favoring the emotional approach provided by the leader as a feedback cycle, the leader spreads > algorithms reinforce > audience reacts = this cycle supports and reinforces the leader's legitimacy while prolonging his leadership.

Populist Realism in Thought and Practice

Donald Trump and his management of populism over two terms: The first term (2016) was a new media campaign (digital psychological warfare) with a team divided into ...

- Exploiting sensational content by posting tweets targeting the psychological factor of the voter, dubbed the <Tweet Factory>

- Spreading hashtags, exploiting Twitter's algorithms because there was no censorship at the time, and driving engagement and interaction to millions of Americans > the beginning of the trend >

- The target audience (divided) The majority of the American people were opposed to illegal immigration, and this category is Trump's conservative audience, so he exploited this division in swing states (Pennsylvania, Michigan) through advertising shows and hashtags <illegal immigration steals your jobs> and <Clinton welcomes immigrants>.

Trump (2024) The election marketing methodology did not differ, but it evolved due to momentary changes and the updated team with the help of his son Barron Trump by employing all artificial intelligence tools in an election campaign and a new form of populism.

- Trump AI Robert chat contains Trump's aggressive speeches and inflammatory short tweets that reach all the people such as, America for Americans, America first, foreigners are stealing your jobs and I'm the only one who stops them.

- The tactic of inciting algorithms by creating fake accounts and focusing on critical issues such as inflation, the Ukraine war, immigration, and commenting that Trump will fix all this and Biden is destroying America. This made the algorithms interpret the posts in a populist direction and elevate the post to a trend.

- Trump and the TikTok platform, before we get to the heart of the matter, why did Trump focus on TikTok? The answer lies in the savvy use of the platform.

Turning political discourse into entertainment content that avoids the platform's censorship through memes, superimposing Trump's image on a Superman figure with the hashtag savior, photographing malls and their absence of citizens under the pretext of inflation with the title <This is Biden's America! > TikTok is a young platform, which is why Trump used it in his election campaign.

This gives us this living example that algorithms have become an arena for a silent democratic battle in which populist speeches turn into digital viruses that multiply through user interaction. In addition, there are other living examples, such as in Europe, the rise of far-right leaders through YouTube, such as Giorgia Meloni in Italy, the use of short clips to amplify the discourse against immigration and identity, and the equation is not without Arab models that have transformed algorithms more than communication tools, the Saudi electronic wing, Al Masry Al Youm platform, Emirati happiness team, with comprehensive digital awareness to prepare platforms to keep pace with the upcoming digital battles.

Digital populism represents a political-technological revolution that is reshaping leadership and political interaction. Through new concepts such as digital mobilization and algorithmic democracy, populist leaders are able to build constituencies with unprecedented efficiency, but they pose a threat to democracy by promoting polarization and eroding trust in institutions and among individuals

Addressing these challenges requires an innovative approach that combines redesigning algorithms, enhancing transparency, and increasing awareness for individuals in a world dominated by technology.

In an ever-changing world, the question remains: can we harness digital platforms to support a pluralistic democracy, or will they remain a tool for populism and mass manipulation?