Liberal-Democratic Media and Populism: Interrelation and Antagonism, or What is The Use of Journalistic Ethics Here

Y. Finkler

Abstract


The purpose of the study is to identify key points of contact and interdependencies between liberal-democratic journalism, populist content in the media, and journalistic ethics.

Research methodology. An analytical method was applied (analysis of articles, scientific publications, studies, and other sources with regard to the title problem of the article), which allowed us to study the features and specifics of populist media content and the context that shapes the populist direction of media practice. SWOT analysis allowed us to determine the paradoxical interdependence of liberal-democratic and populist content, media, and audience stratification. Using the inductive method, it became possible to summarize the conclusions that follow from the main ideas of the article and generalize the results of our own reasoning.

Results. Through a literature review and theoretical discussion of the title problem, this article rethinks the crisis of Ukrainian media in the context of changes in civil society caused by the rise of populism, and seeks countermeasures to preserve the status quo of liberal-democratic media. In particular, the author’s considerations focus on the principles that traditional content producers require to overcome the crisis they face in their relations with populist civil society, including populist media and communication platforms, and which will contribute to the restoration of trust in professional media. This article quite logically captures a significant dilemma that communication studies as a science and journalism as a media practice face in connection with populism, the social impact of which is growing: journalism, while not resisting the negative impact of populism on liberal democracy, at the same time supports liberal democracy itself. Prospects for further study of the analyzed problem are identified.

Novelty. For the first time in the Ukrainian segment of communication studies, populism has been analyzed as a format of media practice, the popularity of which became possible thanks to the development of liberal-democratic journalism.

The practical significance lies in the fact that the results obtained can be used for further scientific research of any models of media functioning that are related to populist content.

Key words: audience, content, democracy, ethics, liberalism, populism, society.


References


Babenko, V. (2025). «Klykatymu tebe Zombi»: komunikatyvna rol metafory «Zombi» v naratyvnykh praktykakh ukrainskykh onlain-media u vysvitlenni rosiisko-ukrainskoi viiny [«I'll Call You Zombie»: The Communicative Role of the «Zombie» Metaphor in the Narrative Practices of Ukrainian Online Media in Coverage of the Russian-Ukrainian War]. Vcheni zapysky TNU imeni V. I. Vernadskoho. Seriia: Filolohiia. Zhurnalistyka, 36 (75), 151–156. doi: 10.32782/2710-4656/2025.5.2/23 [in Ukrainian].

Bilousov, M. (2026) Fenomen «postpravdy» y informatsiina vrazlyvist demokratychnykh suspil-stva YeS [The phenomenon of «post-truth» and the information vulnerability of demo-cratic societies in the EU]. Visnyk Prykarpatskoho universytetu, 22, 37–49 [in Ukrainian].

Donii, N. (2025). Variatyvnist suchasnoi demokratii: styslyi analiz [The variability of modern democracy: A brief analysis]. Naukovyi visnyk Sivershchyny. Seriia: Pravo, 2 (25), 20–39 [in Ukrainian].

Doslidzhennia IMI: 8 z 18 onlain-media vykorystovuiut emotsiini tryhery na svoikh YouTube-kanalakh [IMI Study: 8 out of 18 online media use emotional triggers on their YouTube channels]. Retrieved from https://imi.org.ua/news/doslidzhennya-imi-8-z-18-onlajn-media-vykorystovuyut-emotsijni-trygery-na-svoyih-youtube-kanalah [in Ukrainian].

Zakharenko, K., & Minenko, Ye. (2024). Suchasni media yak platforma dlia populizmu: komunikatsiini ta politychni aspekty [Modern media as a platform for populism: communication and political aspects]. Naukovyi chasopys Ukrainskoho derzhavnoho universytetu imeni My-khaila Drahomanova. Seriia 22: Politychni nauky ta metodyka vykladannia sotsialno-politychnykh dystsyplin, 36, 18–27 [in Ukrainian].

Zakharov, Ye. (2025). Svit-Systema ta kulturna hehemoniia: yak hlobalni media formuiut ideolohichnyi landshaft [World-system and cultural hegemony: How global media shape the ideological landscape]. Visnyk Zhytomyrskoho derzhavnoho universytetu imeni Ivana Franka. Filosofski nauky, 1 (97), 87–93 [in Ukrainian].

Zghurska, V. (2024). Voiovnycha demokratiia yak instytut protydii populizmu [Militant democ-racy as an institution to counter populism]. Rehionalni studii, 36, 32–35 [in Ukrainian].

Zrazhevska, N. (2025). Antyintelektualizm yak populistska mediastratehiia v umovakh viiny rosii proty Ukrainy [Anti-intellectualism as a populist media strategy in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine]. Integrated communications, 1 (19), 17–26 [in Ukrainian].

Kozachenko, A., & Briukhovetskyi, M. (2025). Informatsiinyi populizm yak vyklyk vidkrytoho suspilstva [Information populism as a challenge to an open society]. Visnyk Lvivskoho universytetu. Seriia filosofsko-politolohichni studii, 58, 94–103 [in Ukrainian].

Kravchenko, V., Dobryden, O., & Koltunov, Ya. (2025). Populizm yak zahroza demokratii [Populism as a threat to democracy]. Ukrainskyi polityko-pravovyi dyskurs, 11. Retrieved from https://ppdnz.com.ua/index.php/home/article/view/272/182 [in Ukrainian].

Mediaspozhyvannia pid mikroskopom: ukraintsi provodiat u mesendzherakh bilshe chasu, nizh pered televizorom. Doslidzhennia mediaspozhyvannia ukraintsiv [Media consumption under the microscope: Ukrainians spend more time on messengers than in front of the TV. Research on media con-sumption of Ukrainians]. Retrieved from https://gradus.app/uk/open-reports/research-media-consumption-ukraine/#:~:text=Shcho%20obyraiut%20ukraintsi:%20humor,%20sport%20i%20podkasty,–%20na%20shist%20punktiv%20bilshe,%20nizh%20torik [in Ukrainian].

Sheliakova, Y., Kovalenko, I., & Kalnytskyi, E. (2024). Traibalizm yak modus sotsialnoho, politychnoho ta mentalnoho [Tribalism as a mode of social, political and mental]. Visnyk YuNU imeni Yaroslava Mudroho. Seriia: Filosofiia, filosofiia prava, politolohiia, sotsiolohiia, 3 (62), 65–85 [in Ukrainian].

Napady na zhurnalistiv v Ukraini: 160 intsydentiv u 2025 rotsi – bezpekovyi zvit NSZhU [At-tacks on journalists in Ukraine: 160 incidents in 2025 – NSJU security report]. Retrieved from https://nsju.org/novini/napady-na-zhurnalistiv-v-ukrayini-160-inczydentiv-u-2025-roczi-bezpekovyj-zvit-nszhu/ [in Ukrainian].

Oberemok, O. (2026). Komunikatsiia cherez mif: yak arkhetyp peredaie sensy [Communication through myth: How archetype conveys meaning]. Hraal nauky, 62 (62), 1138–1142. doi: 10.36074/grail-of-science.20.02.2026.129 [in Ukrainian].

Populist, O. Labirynty tsyfrovoi realnosti: psykholohichne zdorovia ta pidtrymka osobystosti v mediinomu seredovyshchi [Labyrinths of digital reality: psychological health and personality support in the media environment]. Retrieved from https://dspace.onu.edu.ua/server/api/core/bitstreams/729fb118-7ea6-49df-ae84-1978cf6bfe6d/content [in Ukrainian].

Potiatynyk, B. (2026). Kontsepty freiminhu i politemihrantu: shoumeny v media ta politytsi [Concepts of framing and political immigrant: showmen in media and politics]. Visnyk Lvivskoho universytetu. Seriia Zhurnalistyka, 59, 216–223. doi: 10.30970/vjo.2026.59.13959 [in Ukrainian].

Rybka, D. O., & Sirinok-Dolharova, K. H. (2025). Rozmaittia pidkhodiv u zhurnalistytsi rishen: porivnialnyi analiz redaktsiinykh polityk media u merezhi Solution Journalism Nerwork [Diversity of approaches in solution journalism: a comparative analysis of media editorial policies in the Solution Journalism Network]. Vcheni za-pysky TNU imeni V. I. Vernadskoho. Seriia: Filolohiia. Zhurnalistyka, 36 (75), 276–282. doi 10.32782/2710-4656/2025.5.2/41 [in Ukrainian].

Ryzhenko, L. (2019). Konservatyvna zhurnalistyka yak vyd nishevoho konservatyzmu [Conservative journalism as a type of niche conservatism]. Derzhava ta rehiony. Seriia: Sotsialni komunikatsii, 3 (39), 9–12 [in Ukrainian].

Rizun, V. (2003). Masy. Teksty lektsii [Masses. Lecture texts]. Kyiv: VPTsR «Kyivskyi universytet» [in Ukrainian].

Stepanenko, V. (2022). Kontseptsiia hromadianskoho suspilstva yak doslidnytska prohrama [The concept of civil society as a research program]. Sotsiolohiia: teoriia, metody, marketynh, 3, 40–64 [in Ukrainian].

Tkach, Dzh. (2025). Nastup pravo-konservatyvnoi ideolohii v Yevropi: Kryza liberalnoi paradyhmy chy novyi politychnyi poriadok? [The onslaught of right-conservative ideology in Europe: A crisis of the liberal paradigm or a new political order?]. Berehove: vyd-vo Zakarpat. uhorskoho instytutu imeni Ferentsa Rakotsi II [in Ukrainian].

Finkler, Yu. Nauka bez dumky: instruktsiia z pravylnoi pokory [Science without thought: in-structions for proper obedience]. Retrieved from https://leopolis.news/nauka-bez-dumky-instrukcziya-z-pravylnoyi-pokory-foto-yuriya-finklera/ [in Ukrainian].

Iurii, M. (2021). Prezydentski vybory yak dzerkalo postmodernu [Presidential elections as a mirror of postmodernity]. Mediaforum: analityka, pro-hnozy, informatsiinyi menedzhment, 9, 11–27. doi: 10.31861/mediaforum.2021.9.11-27 [in Ukrainian].

Iastremskyi, V. Populizm yak instrument politychnoi lehitymizatsii V. Zelenskoho [Populism as a tool for political legitimization of V. Zelensky]. Retrieved from http://repository.mu.edu.ua/jspui/ bitstream/123456789/10262/1/Iastremskyi%20V._KR.pdf [in Ukrainian].

Lischka, A. J. (2022). Content analysis in the research field of corporate communication. Standardize psychoanalyses in red kommunikationswissenschaft – standardized content analysis in communication research. Berlin: Springer VS [in English].

Malkopouolu, A., & Moffitt, B. (2023). How not to respond to populism. Comparative European Politics, 21, 848–865 [in English].

Mouffe, C. (2022). A new authoritarian form of neoliberalism. Towards A Green Democratic Revolution: Left Populism and the Power of Affects. London: Verso [in English].




DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.32840/cpu2219-8741/2026.1(65).9

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Since 2013, all electronic versions of the journal are stored in the National Library of Ukraine named after VI Vernadsky of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and presented on the portal in the information resource "Scientific Periodicals of Ukraine".

Indexing of the journal in scientometric databases:

The publication is indexed by Citefactor: 2019/2020: 4,54.

The journal is indexed by Google Scholar.

In 2020, the journal was included in the Index Copernicus.

The journal is indexed by Innospace Scientific Journal Impact Factor (SJIF): 2016: 5,899, 2017: 6,435, 2018: 7,037, 2019: 7,431

From 2020, the collection is indexed by ResearchBib.

Journal included in the PKP Index.