In (Not) Kidding: Politics in Online Tabloids, Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer examines the role of online tabloids in shaping political discourse.This book challenges dominant perceptions of tabloid journalism, presenting a compelling argument for, and lens through which to consider, the significance of these often-dismissed media outlets in the contemporary political landscape, writes Janica Ezzeldien.
You can view a pdf of a poster and listen to an accompanying audio commentary based on the book’s research for LSE’s festival exhibition, Displays of Power from June 2024.
(Not) Kidding – Politics in Online Tabloids by Helena Chmielewska-Szlaifer challenges the traditional dichotomy between news and tabloids by arguing that online tabloids transcend mere sensationalism, acting as platforms for emotional political engagement. Chmielewska-Szlaifer highlights the unique characteristics of online tabloids and their commonalities with other news sources, emphasising that news-making is inherently contextual and influenced by journalistic practices, rather than being detached, predictable, or objective (237). Focusing on the online tabloids Pudelek, Mail Online, and Gawker, the author introduces the “(not) kidding frame,” an original concept capturing the usage of an ambiguous communication style, and to describe tabloids’ strategies of presenting stories in a way that is heavily influenced by reader comments and engagement (7). This challenges the view of tabloids as mere entertainment, highlighting their role in shaping political narratives and fostering emotional reader engagement. She argues that tabloids expand journalism’s boundaries by blending entertainment and politics, making them crucial for public discourse and political reporting (238-9).
the ‘(not) kidding frame’ [is] an original concept capturing the usage of an ambiguous communication style, and to describe tabloids’ strategies of presenting stories in a way that is heavily influenced by reader comments and engagement
The book critically engages with online tabloids’ place within journalism and their role in shaping “knowledge”. Chmielewska-Szlajfer argues that the “(not) kidding” frame is a distinctive feature that contributes to online tabloids’ popularity and influence (7). It operates as a conversational blend of serious and humorous content for the provision of political information, whilst relying on readers comments and ambiguity to shield against accusations of undermining journalism or democracy (248). Challenging their traditional classification as non-political entities, the author contends that online tabloids were more attuned to public sentiment during the 2015-16 elections in Poland, the UK, and the US than traditional surveys and expert analyses due to their reactive nature and attentiveness to readers’ perspectives and emotions. Chmielewska-Szlajfer positions online tabloids as crucial in explaining the outcomes by providing valuable insights into the 2015-16 elections and perspectives of underrepresented groups (2-4). Due to their ability to influence public behaviour through their content, she argues that online tabloids are “powerful actors in democracies” (7, 172) due to their ability to influence public behaviour through their content.
the author contends that online tabloids were more attuned to public sentiment during the 2015-16 elections in Poland, the UK, and the US than traditional surveys and expert analyses
By identifying their specific features contributing to their influence, such as reactivity, speed, sensitivity to public sentiment and emotions (218-226), and the combination of entertainment and news – an “infotaining” style, tabloids, according to Chmielewska-Szlajfer, create spaces for public engagement that are often overlooked in studies of public views and predictions of election outcomes and voter behaviour (6). Providing a historical account of tabloids as a form of “New Journalism” and the concept of “tabloidization,” (1-3, 22), the author integrates various theoretical perspectives to analyse the role of online tabloids in the political sphere, drawing on Chantal Mouffe’s (2000) concept of ‘agonistic pluralism,’ Daniel Dayan’s (2013) notion of ‘media visibility,’ and Zizi Papacharissi’s (2015) work on ‘affective politics.’ This grounding in critical theory, cultural studies, and media studies allows Chmielewska-Szlajfer to situate her study within broader discussions on the relationships between media, politics, and democracy.
Chmielewska-Szlajfer examines the strategic balance employed by Pudelek, Mail Online, and Gawker in both entertaining and informing their audiences.
The book employs a mixed-methods approach, combining the qualitive analysis of 2,000 online tabloid articles and popular reader comments during the 2015-16 election periods in Poland, the UK, and the US with in-depth interviews with 20 journalists and editors from the selected tabloids. This approach allows for a nuanced understanding of similarities and differences in political coverage and journalistic practices across diverse media landscapes. In Chapter Two, Chmielewska-Szlajfer examines the strategic balance employed by Pudelek, Mail Online, and Gawker in both entertaining and informing their audiences. Tabloids achieve this balance essential to the “not-kidding” frame by presenting political issues with a combination of seriousness and playfulness, thereby creating a unique space for reader engagement and public understanding. The chapter visually maps recurring topics and thematic relationships, such as negative posts about Donald Trump and the Republican Party and their associations with sexual issues, offering an insightful indication of the conversational relationship between the journalistic work and reader comments (60). Establishing links between the content published in three online tabloids, Chmielewska-Szlajfer’s in-depth qualitative analysis highlights an underlying anti-elite sentiment across these publications such as the negative attitudes and notable criticism directed toward celebrities, such as Bronisław Komorowski, throughout the final two months before the 2015 presidential elections in Poland (67).
Chapter Three (193-248) analyses the organisational cultures and journalistic practices within the three selected online tabloids, grounded in detailed interviews with journalists, revealing varying levels of editorial independence and transparency across different outlets. Chmielewska-Szlajfer highlights the “educational role” of online tabloids, where they provide information about the outside world to their readers while simultaneously treating politics as entertainment (247). The chapter further reflects and complicates the notion of “journalistic professionalism,” as she finds editors across the outlets sharing a three-fold approach: (I) offering accurate content, (II) a range of skills within the news industry positioning the journalists within the industry, and (III) meeting the needs of the readers (197-235). Chmielewska-Szlajfer further explores the complex relationship between online tabloids and democratic processes, suggesting that despite their reputation of disseminating sensationalised information which has led to questions about their credibility and scepticism regarding their journalistic integrity, these outlets constitute powerful actors in a democratic system due to their large readership and information dissemination.
The book offers a thorough analysis of online tabloids across three different countries, providing a comparative perspective that enriches our understanding of global trends and local variations in tabloid journalism. Chmielewska-Szlajfer’s ‘(not) kidding frame’ provides an innovative lens through which to understand the complexity involved in combining seriousness and playfulness in tabloid political coverage. The mixed-methods approach, combining a qualitative analysis with in-depth interviews, lends credibility to the author’s findings and provides a multi-faceted view of the subject. The author’s use of various theoretical frameworks provides the book with impressive analytic depth and connects it to broader academic discussions.
Chmielewska-Szlajfer’s ‘(not) kidding frame’ provides an innovative lens through which to understand the complexity involved in combining seriousness and playfulness in tabloid political coverage.
The book further emphasises the role of visual imagery as a specific element of online tabloids by illustrating how images are often employed to attract attention or amplify the emotional impact of a story. However, the author could have further strengthened her discussion by elaborating on how the (not)kidding frame is linked to the visual (197-99). Given the importance of visuals in the researched outlets, Chmielewska-Szlajfer’s critical perspective on dominant views on tabloids may become more apparent when referenced alongside contemporary works in visual politics, such as Callahan’s (2020) exploration of multisensory experiences or Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2020) analysis of the “grammar” of images.
(Not) Kidding: Politics in Online Tabloids represents a significant contribution to the fields of media studies and political communication and opens up new avenues for further research in these fields. Chmielewska-Szlajfer’s well-crafted and empirically-rich work provides a timely analysis of the relationship between tabloids, emotions, and political engagement. By challenging established views on the nature of political discourse, this book serves as an essential resource for scholars, journalists, and students interested in the evolving landscape of political communication in the digital age.
Note: This review gives the views of the author and not the position of the LSE Review of Books blog, nor of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Image: Hadrian on Shutterstock.
