‘This is (not) Entertainment!’: media constructions of political scandal discourses in the 2016 US presidential election

Abstract

The phenomenon of scandal(ization) has become omnipresent in contemporary political media discourses – at the latest since the 2016 US presidential election. Our article addresses causes and effects of this recent prevalence of scandal narratives. By connecting concepts from social systems theory and media theory, we consider crucial practices and processes of scandal construction in the 2016 US presidential election, focusing on the much-noticed emailgate and trumptape scandals. Both examples serve to illustrate how the emergence of partial public spheres in social media may lead to a fight for sovereignty over scandal discourse, political attitudes, and the negotiation of social norms, morals, and values.