A Dangerous Concept in a Hostile Environment: Journalists’ Understandings of Populism in Italy and Spain

Populism, especially that of the far right, has a major impact on journalism. Journalists have to respond to an increasingly hostile environment with dwindling resources and often precarious conditions. By using semistructured interviews with journalists who cover the populist far right in Italy and Spain, we investigate how they understand populism and its impact on their profession. Interviewees have a clear idea of what populism is, but feel that this concept is often used in a vague and politicized manner. Far-right populism’s hostility toward journalism has also generated professional problems such as difficult access to politicians, safety concerns, and violence.