Social Media, Artificial Intelligence and Political Extremism

Dear Colleagues,

Social media have become central spaces for political communication, participation, and conflict. In recent years, these platforms have undergone a profound transformation driven by the growing integration of artificial intelligence, automation, and synthetic content into political discourse. AI-generated texts, images, videos, and memes, along with bots and algorithmic recommendation systems, are redefining how political narratives are produced, circulated, and consumed, intensifying emotional engagement and reshaping public debate (Tufekci 2017; Bradshaw & Howard 2019; Waisbord 2020).

Within this digital ecosystem, processes of political extremism and radicalization have gained renewed visibility and influence. While a significant body of research has focused on the rise of far-right movements in online environments, contemporary political extremism manifests across the ideological spectrum, including far-right, far-left, populist, and anti-system actors. Communication dynamics mediated by social media and artificial intelligence contribute to the amplification of polarized narratives, the normalization of hate speech, and the erosion of democratic deliberation and trust in institutions (Munger & Phillips 2022; Ebner 2023).

Although academic literature has addressed political extremism, digital propaganda, and disinformation, important research gaps remain, particularly regarding the role of artificial intelligence and synthetic content in shaping extremist narratives, audience engagement, and radicalization processes. The growing intervention of generative artificial intelligence (GAI) in political communication makes it necessary to further examine its implications for political extremism and democratic societies.

This Special Issue aims to contribute to the advancement of academic debate by inviting submissions that offer theoretical, methodological, and empirical perspectives on the intersections between social media, artificial intelligence, and political extremism.

We invite submissions from the perspective of journalism, media and communication research or related disciplines that examine, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Political Extremism and Radicalization on Social Media
  The dynamics of extremist communication across platforms; far-right, far-left, populist and anti-system movements in digital environments.
• Artificial Intelligence and Automated Political Communication in the Context of Political Extremism
  The role of AI, bots and automation in political messaging, mobilization and radicalization processes.
• Algorithms, Platforms and the Amplification of Political Extremism
  Recommendation systems, visibility logics and platform governance in the diffusion, normalization and monetization of extremist discourse.
• Political Entertainment, Emotionalization and Polarization
  The convergence of entertainment, emotion and radical political communication in AI-mediated contexts.
• Visual Communication and Digital Political Culture in Extremist Movements
  Memes, visual storytelling, esthetic strategies and hybrid human–AI actors in the construction of extremist political identities.
• Disinformation, Hate Speech and Coordinated Extremist Manipulation
  AI-driven strategies of disinformation, harassment and networked manipulation linked to extremist actors or agendas.
• Audience Reception and Effects of AI-Mediated Extremist Content
  Exposure, engagement, susceptibility and attitudinal effects related to extremist narratives amplified by AI and social media.
• Democratic Challenges and Governance in the Face of AI-Driven Political Extremism
  Implications for democratic debate, regulation, accountability, platform governance and resilience against extremist influence.
• Counter-Narratives, De-Radicalization and Media Literacy Against Political Extremism
  Preventive strategies, counter-discourses, platform interventions and educational initiatives in AI-mediated environments.

We look forward to your contributions and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

References

Bradshaw, S., & Howard, P. N. (2019). The global disinformation order: 2019 global inventory of organised social media manipulation. Oxford Internet Institute.
Ebner, J. (2023). Going Mainstream: How Extremists Are Taking Over. Bloomsbury.
Munger, K., & Phillips, J. (2022). Right-Wing YouTube: A Supply and Demand Perspective. International Journal of Press/Politics, 27(1), 186–219.
Tufekci, Z. (2017). Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. Yale University Press.
Waisbord, S. (2020). Communication: A Post-Discipline. Polity Press.

Prof. Dr. Salomé Berrocal-Gonzalo
Dr. Raquel Quevedo-Redondo
Dr. Patricia Zamora-Martínez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journalism and Media is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• political extremism
• social media
• artificial intelligence
• generative AI
• polarization
• hate speech
• disinformation