(Not) Kidding

Tabloids are often reduced to the role of sensationalist gossipmongers. But what if we treated them as vital sources of political news for the public instead? (Not) Kidding exposes the emotional public sphere of comment sections, as well as the key tabloid “(not) kidding” frame: ambiguous, reactive to readers, and shielding online tabloids from accusations of deteriorating democracy. Based on a close study of news stories, anonymous comments under articles, and interviews with online tabloid journalists, Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer offers a deep dive into Pudelek, Mail Online, and Gawker coverage of 2015-2016 political campaigns in Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, where votes led to major populist shifts.