Event overview
Prof. Reece Peck, CUNY, US. More than Money and Algorithms: The Cultural Roots of Trump鈥檚 Alt-Media Strategy
This presentation examines Trump鈥檚 masculinist 鈥渁lt-media strategy鈥� in the 2024 election to explore the right鈥檚 dominance in the online media landscape. Often referred to as 鈥渢he first influencer election,鈥� post-2024 election analyses have highlighted the pivotal role alternative online media played in securing Trump鈥檚 second presidency. While some commentators have focused on the quantitative edge鈥攕uch as Trump appearing on over twice as many podcasts as Harris鈥攐thers have emphasized the influence of key MAGA-aligned figures, like Joe Rogan and Elon Musk. In this talk, Reece Peck, the author of Fox Populism, spotlights a less appreciated but crucial factor: Trump鈥檚 historical relationship with alternative online political media. Only politicians with deep ties to online subcultures can effectively leverage them when election season rolls around. Unlike the Democrats, who attempted to build relationships with alternative media on the fly, the MAGA movement had well-established roots in this sector, tracing back to the Republican primary of the 2016 cycle. Peck stresses the importance of a cultural-historical approach to analyzing online political media鈥攂oth as an academic framework and a strategic political tool.
Reece Peck is an Associate Professor at the College of Staten Island and the CUNY Graduate Center and the author of Fox Populism: Branding Conservatism as Working Class (Cambridge, 2019). His expertise lies in conservative media, populist rhetoric, and tabloid journalism. His writing on YouTube politics has appeared in academic journals like Television and New Media and popular outlets like The Hill and Jacobin.
Dates & times
| Date | Time | Add to calendar |
|---|---|---|
| 10 Jun 2025 | 5:00pm - 6:30pm |
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