When neo-Nazis march and anti-fascists demonstrate. PROTEAN COUNTERPUBLICS IN THE DIGITAL AGE Christina Neumayer A thesis submitted to the PhD school at the IT University of Copenhagen for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, Copenhagen, January 2013. Abstract Demonstrations organised by neo-Nazis and the New Right, accompanied by large counter protests by anti-fascist groups, civil society networks, and citizens, have become important political events in Germany. Digital media technologies play an increasingly important role in the confrontation between the two ends of the political spectrum framed by historically rooted ideology. This study explores how different media technologies are appropriated by activists, who consider themselves marginalised and oppositional to the mainstream, on both sides of the conflict. The study aims to examine how digital media permeate counterpublics’ (Negt and Kluge 1972; Fraser 1992; Brouwer 2006; Warner 2002) strategies, tactics, and media practices in their struggles for visibility in these protest events. The counterpublics on both ends of the political spectrum take place and are analysed across three dimensions: [1] technical affordances and media environments; [2] strategies, tactics, and media practices; and [3] political positions and ideologies. The results are based on a data set of online communication, representation, and media coverage on different online media platforms related to marches planned by neo-Nazis in the former East Germany, which were accompanied by counter protests by anti-fascist groups, NGOs, and civil society. The data is analysed across these dimensions by using the methodological frameworks of discourse theory (Carpentier 2007; Dahlberg and Phelan 2011; Laclau and Mouffe 1985) and critical discourse analysis (Fairclough 2010; van Dijk 2001; van Dijk 1998b). Due to the historical significance of the events and taking into account the continuity of the role of media technologies in articulating counter publicity, the case is contextualised through a discussion of the radical right and radical left in present- day Germany as well as an analysis of archived publications from the anti-fascist counter movements to the National Socialist regime in World War II Germany. An empirical and theoretical exploration contributes to the discussion of counterpublics framed by conflictual ideologies in the digital age and to the ongoing discussion concerning the role of digital media technologies in political protest. The author concludes by suggesting a protean and relational perspective on counterpublics in the digital age and the role of radical politics in the mediated environments of contemporary democracy. 2 Acknowledgements As many have done before me, I begin by saying that writing a thesis is indeed solitary work. Luckily, on my way, I met many brilliant minds, advisors, colleagues, co-authors, co-teachers, and friends who made me curious, guided me, inspired me, and helped me develop my ideas in conversation and discussion. First and foremost, I am grateful to my supervisors Gitte Stald and Maria Bakardjieva. I must thank Gitte for her faith in my work from the very start of this adventure, for giving me the independence to explore new territory with my thesis, and for always being there to give advice when needed. I must thank Maria for insightful discussions, guidance, and advice during her visits to the IT University, for improving my writing through long-distance supervision, and for helping me make sense of my project during my visit to the University of Calgary. I am also thankful to Fred Turner, my host and advisor during my stay abroad at Stanford University, for engaging discussions, for always having answers to my questions, for making me aware of the rich resources at the Hoover Archives, for believing in the value of my work, and for giving me confidence. I am thankful to all of my colleagues who have, for one reason or another, found a second home in or wandered blithely into the 3D corridor at IT University, providing enjoyable conversations and friendly advice at the lunch table and during breaks. Particular thanks in this context go to my co-teacher and article co-author Bjarki Valtysson and to my provisional supervisor Rich Ling. I also wish to thank the committee on my thesis proposal defence ‒ Torill Mortensen, Adriana de Souza e Silva, and Rich Ling ‒ for their feedback and advice. Outside of the IT University, I wish to thank Christian Fuchs for always keeping a ‘critical’ eye on my work and for fruitful discussions on several occasions. I am also thankful for my collaboration and discussions with my article co-authors Jakob Svensson, Judith Schossboeck, Alexander Banfield-Mumb, Celina Raffl, and Robert Bichler. I am particularly grateful to Pension Fröhlich (Maggi, Ulli, Fiona, and Steffi), who provided me with shelter, support, and friendship during the protest events in Dresden. My thanks go to the IT University of Copenhagen, which generously funded my PhD project, and to the Danish Agency for Science, Technology, and Innovation (DASTI), which provided me with a scholarship during my visit to Stanford University. On this note, I also wish to thank Jane Andersen from the PhD 3 administration for her kind advice and assistance as well as Helen Roque from the H- STAR program for her administrative help at Stanford University. This journey was made much more enjoyable by my sharing an office with the lovely Nanna Holdgaard and Anne Hvejsel and by the brilliant PhD crowd at the IT University: Nanna, Marie, Signe, Troels, Anne, Aaron, Jarmo, Anna, Elena, Francesco, Naveen, Gian, Paolo T., Paolo B., Rosalba, Maxime, Lea, Sander, Fiona, Hannes, Helge, Josu, Andrea, and Hugo. Thank you for your support and friendship! My love and gratefulness go to my family – Mom, Dad, Barbara, Elisabeth, and Maria – for their love and encouragement throughout my life. Finally, special thanks go to all my friends, the Øsi-Mædels, the good Center people, the Loosers, friends from my visits to Stanford and in India, my friends in Denmark and in Austria, and my friends from all the other spheres of my life, who have shown infinite patience with the stressed thesis-writing me and who have given me friendship, love, and emotional support. Adam Grydehøj, thank you for reading the whole thing, editing and proofreading, and finding the right words, for uncountable happy moments, support, love and care. I owe you a huge pumpkin. 4 Table of Contents Abstract............................................................................................................................2 Acknowledgements .....................................................................................................3 List of Figures.................................................................................................................8 Introduction ...................................................................................................................9 1.1 Aim............................................................................................................................... 11 1.2 Research questions ................................................................................................ 12 1.3 Structure of the thesis ........................................................................................... 13 2 Media technologies, counterpublics, and radical politics..................... 15 2.1 Affordances, technologies, and politics........................................................... 17 2.1.1 Chasing ideas about technology............................................................................... 17 2.1.1 Technical affordances and critical constructivism............................................ 23 2.2 Counterpublics and their struggle for visibility........................................... 29 2.2.1 Publics and the public sphere..................................................................................... 29 2.2.2 Alternative media in the mediapolis ....................................................................... 33 2.2.3 Building a bridge to Social Movement Studies................................................... 36 2.2.4 Counterpublics beyond rational-critical debate ............................................... 41 2.3 Ideology and political positions in digital media......................................... 43 2.3.1 Conflict and propaganda.............................................................................................. 44 2.3.2 Ideology, friends and enemies in discourse........................................................ 49 2.3.3 Discourse theory and critical discourse analysis.............................................. 53 2.3.4 Political ideology grounded online ......................................................................... 56 2.1 Towards an analytical framework.................................................................... 57 3 Research design and methods........................................................................ 59 3.1 Why qualitative? ..................................................................................................... 60 3.2 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................... 60 3.3 Selection of case and sites.................................................................................... 62 3.4 Studying digital media, counterpublics, and political ideology.............. 66 3.4.1