Affective–discursive ecologies of the far right: Multimodal softening, mobilisation and algorithmic proximity on Instagram

This article examines how far-right communication on Instagram uses positively valenced affect and humour to normalise extremist worldviews. Drawing on research on mainstreaming, memetic communication and affective publics, it conceptualises far-right Instagram as an affective–discursive ecology where ideology, emotion and platform logics intersect. Through algorithmic ethnography and multimodal discourse analysis, the study analyses 2603 Reels featuring far-right adjacent themes. The analysis identifies three overlapping modalities: (1) humorous, ironic and meta-reflexive content, framing extremity as playful or self-aware; (2) wholesome and nostalgic aestheticisation that softens exclusionary messaging through sentimental imagery; and (3) inspirational, glorifying and aspirational aestheticisation, casting ideological commitment as awakening or heroic civilisational defence. Algorithmic clustering further politicises ostensibly non-political material, allowing neutral or unrelated posts to reinforce far-right narratives through contextual adjacency. The study argues that effective responses must address these emotional, aesthetic and infrastructural conditions.