“Becoming the Media”: Narratives, Networks and Media Practices and of the German Far-Right Counterpublic

Social media has become a central arena for protest and political conflict in Europe. This has been especially appreciated by far-right groups that have invested considerable resources in building up professional online presences and engaging in efficient networking and media subversion. Considering visibility a central source for political efficacy, social media campaigning emerged as a central modus operandi of far-right mobilization as the sophisticated use of digital platforms contributed to a stronger coordination of a fragmented field and the broader diffusion of their narratives. In the German context, this has become apparent in the campaign against the Global Compact for Migration in late 2018. Sparked by the Identitarian Movement, coordinated networks instrumentalized the Global Compact to push far-right agendas – which have been strategically fostered by an alternative media system. Applying a mix of quantitative and qualitative methods, we analyze the communicative and networked practices of 32 key far-right actors on Facebook identifying driving narratives, campaigning strategies and hubs of mobilization. By shedding light on the networked structure of the far-right counterpublic, the case of the opposition against the Global Migration Compact underlines the paralleled processes of an increasing visibility online, the coordinated presence on the streets and the mainstreaming of their messages.