Full Description
The book offers an analytical and empirical account of the specificities of political entertainment in post-authoritarian democracies.
Centered around Mexico as a case study, the book explores the production of political entertainment in post-authoritarian legacy media and how political and economic conditions constrain the range and edge of discourse; how political entertainment in social media is shaped by the structure of platforms, as creators are encouraged to conform to specific norms such as constant publication; and the impacts of these media on attitude formation among the population. The book proposes a theoretical framework for identifying the specific conditions of post-authoritarian democracies that constrain the production of political entertainment, as well as its outcomes in terms of content and effects. This framework can be applied to the analysis of similar case studies, particularly in the Global South at large.
With an analysis drawing on hard data, historical accounts, and anecdotal evidence, this volume will resonate within academic communities interested in political communication, media studies, transitional democracies, and popular culture.
Contents
1. Introduction: researching political entertainment in post-authoritarian democracies
PART I: Political entertainment in legacy media: historical and structural conditions 2. The historical development of political humor in Mexico
3. Potentials and limits of political satire on network television in Mexico
4. Political news as entertainment in Mexican media
PART II: Political entertainment in the digital age: producers and content 5. Political satire in the changing media landscape: a Mexican response to Jon Stewart?
6. Political entertainers in the Mexican YouTube sphere
PART III: Enhancing citizenship through laughing: reception and effects of political entertainment 7. Biting humor in the digital era: benefits and hindrances for citizens
8. Political humor and citizenship: effects of satire on democratic attitudes
9. Conclusion: distinctive features and explanations of political entertainment in Mexico
