The populist style and public diplomacy: kayfabe as performative agonism in Trump’s Twitter posts

IF 2.7 Q1 COMMUNICATION

Public Relations Inquiry Pub Date : 2020-12-15 DOI:10.1177/2046147X20979294

Paweł Surowiec, Christopher Miles

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引用次数: 5

Abstract

This article theorises the interplay between public diplomacy and populism. Building on Baudrillard’s simulacra, we advance the hybridity approach to soft power statecraft by analysing a cultural shift in US presidential public diplomacy. Using discourse analysis, we uncover how, rather than aiding the building of relationship with foreign publics, Donald Trump has brought to the field cultural codes alien to public diplomacy, imploding the meanings central to the endogenous norms of diplomacy and turning towards an agonistic relational dynamic with foreign publics. This article reveals how digitalisation affords the expansion of Donald Trump’s populist style, and makes the populist cultural shift highly visible on his Twitter. To reveal this dynamic in granular detail, we propose ‘kayfabe’ as an epistemic lens for the interpretation of the populist style in the conduct of Trump’s ‘simulated public diplomacy’, a defining feature of the current US global leadership. As well as considering socialities re-shaping relational dynamics, this article unpacks tensions stemming from the expansion of populist style into presidential public diplomacy. Finally, we reflect on the epistemic crisis of US public diplomacy within the strategic landscape of political uncertainties associated with the proliferation of populism in the field.

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民粹主义风格与公共外交：kayfabe在特朗普推特帖子中的表演性痛苦

本文论述了公共外交与民粹主义之间的相互作用。在鲍德里亚模拟的基础上，我们通过分析美国总统公共外交中的文化转变，提出了软实力治国的混合方法。通过话语分析，我们揭示了唐纳德·特朗普是如何将公共外交之外的文化密码带到领域的，而不是帮助建立与外国公众的关系，破坏了外交内生规范的核心含义，并转向了与外国公众之间令人痛苦的关系动态。这篇文章揭示了数字化如何扩大唐纳德·特朗普的民粹主义风格，并使民粹主义文化转变在他的推特上高度可见。为了详细揭示这一动态，我们建议将“kayfabe”作为一个认知镜头，来解读特朗普“模拟公共外交”中的民粹主义风格，这是当前美国全球领导层的一个决定性特征。除了考虑重塑关系动态的社会因素外，本文还揭示了民粹主义风格在总统公共外交中的扩张所引发的紧张局势。最后，我们在与民粹主义在该领域扩散相关的政治不确定性的战略格局中反思了美国公共外交的认识危机。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Public Relations Inquiry COMMUNICATION-

CiteScore

4.10

自引率

11.10%

发文量

期刊介绍： Public Relations Inquiry is an international, peer-reviewed journal for conceptual, reflexive and critical discussion on public relations, supporting debates on new ways of thinking about public relations in social, cultural and political contexts, in order to improve understanding of its work and effects beyond the purely organisational realm. We interpret public relations in a broad sense, recognising the influence of public relations practices on the many forms of contemporary strategic, promotional communication initiated by organisations, institutions and individuals. The practice of public relations arises at points of societal and organisational change and transformation, affecting many aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life. Reflecting this, we aim to mobilize research that speaks to a scholars in diverse fields and welcome submissions from any area that speak to the purpose of the journal, including (but not only) public relations, organizational communication, media and journalism studies, cultural studies, anthropology, political communication, sociology, organizational studies, development communication, migration studies, visual communication, management and marketing, digital media and data studies. We actively seek contributions that can extend the range of perspectives used to understand public relations, its role in societal change and continuity, and its impact on cultural and political life. We particularly welcome multi-disciplinary debate about the communication practices that shape major human concerns, including: globalisation, politics, and public relations in international communication migration, refugees, displaced populations terrorism, public diplomacy public and corporate governance diversity and cultural impacts of PR the natural and built environments Communication, space and place The development and practices of major industries such as health, food, sport, tourism, technology.