“Sverige ska bli bra igen” : en analys av högerpopulistiskt uppträdande i svensk kvällspress

Sammanfattning: During the 21st century, right wing populist parties (RPP:s) all over Europe have started entering the political parliaments. The Sweden Democrats have, like few others, had a fast growing political success in Sweden, growing from about 7% in the 2010 election to about 20% in the 2022 election. With their success, it is inevitable that the sociocultural and sociopolitical discourse has changed. This means that, according to media logic, the traditional mass media has had to adjust. The relationship between RPP:s and mass media have a history of being antagonistic, in regards to ideals and policies. How does the success of the Sweden Democrats affect the news reporting made by Swedish media? In this study, we examine the differences between the news reporting made by Aftonbladet in the month leading up to the 2010 election and the 2022 election in Sweden. The study is made up of both a quantitative and qualitative part, both complementing each other, and is theoretically based on previous research on the right wing populist performance, radical rhetorics and traditional media. The results indicate that the Sweden Democrats have gained political legitimacy through the traditional media over the past 12 years, partly by exploiting certain political topics and using sensationalist and populist rhetoric. But also by affecting socio-political discourse and therefore becoming central in mass media's report on political events and/or subjects