Banal Fascism Online

Banal Fascism Online: Weaponizing the “Everyday” for Extreme Ends offers a novel lens through which to research, conceptualize, and understand fascism and its place in today’s political culture. It allows space for its authors to explore fascism as it exists in the digital world, outside the rigid boundaries of historically-recognized fascist states.

The digital seeps into every avenue of the political and social, and thus offers a useful framing for analyzing the inherent banality of fascism. Specifically, this edited volume considers the different ways the digital world supports and structures our political and social identities: How do social media and online fora create spaces for extremist values that are perceived as mundane? What technological affordances provide fascist thought leaders access to – and influence over – various audiences? Which platforms offer the most comprehensive opportunities for anti-democratic political strategizing? As the United States and much of Europe continue to see their democratic institutions come under attack by rising fascist and authoritarian movements, this volume provides an indispensable examination of the ways fascism has not only increased in its mainstreaming and palatability, but also how it has always been integral to our societies. This groundbreaking framework and the chapters evidencing its utility offer a tangible means of identifying and ultimately combating fascist structures.

As a result of the strategic deployment of banal fascism across the globe, this volume will appeal to academics, students, politicians, journalists, and anyone concerned about the precarity of liberal democracy and its potential replacement with, at best, illiberal democracy and, at worst, fascism.

Meredith L. Pruden is an Assistant Professor of Communication and Media at Kennesaw State University and an affiliate with the Center for Information, Technology, and Public Life, member of Media and Democracy Data Cooperative and Coalition for Independent Tech Research, and Fellow with Institute for Research on Male Supremacism.

Ayse D. Lokmanoglu is an Assistant Professor of Emerging Media Studies in the College of Communication. She studies the dynamics of information integrity, the politicization of science, and visual communication in the digital public sphere.

Hanah Stiverson is the Director of the Democracy Protection Program at Human Rights First where she leads an advocacy and research team focused on exposing authoritarian practices, defending the right to dissent, and protecting civic freedoms.

Meghan Conroy is a threat intelligence analyst with over 10 years of experience investigating extremism and online harms. She currently works in tech, where she focuses on proactive threat detection and policy development for criminal exploitation of social media platforms.