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Article published In:
Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 17:3 (2018) ► pp.428–446

International high finance against the nation?

Antisemitism and nationalism in Austrian print media debates on the economic crisis

| University of Vienna
| University of Vienna

This article analyses antisemitic elements in the Austrian print media discourse about the 2008–2010 economic crisis. The relevant discursive statements are examined in the light of a theoretical understanding of antisemitic discursive threads as found in the prevalent modes of presentation of the economic and financial crisis in the media. The first main finding is the broad avoidance of openly antisemitic stereotypes, with the exception of the Neue Kronen Zeitung. The second main finding is that structurally antisemitic discursive elements appear above all where (a) specific groups (“high finance”, “financial sharks”, “speculators”) are singled out as the main culprits, (b) these are opposed to a homogeneously constructed “us” (the “Volk”), and (c) where the formers’ greed is stressed and where they are accused of harming the people. Here we find nationalistic and latent antisemitic discourses, the stereotypical contrasting of finance and production, conspiracy theories and anti-Americanism closely interwoven.

Keywords: antisemitism, nationalism, national identity, Austria, anti-Americanism, economic crisis, print media
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Theoretical background: Modern antisemitism disguised as anti-capitalist revolt
  • 3.Media presentations of the financial and economic crisis
    • 3.1Methodology and data
    • 3.2Types of crisis presentation
      • 3.2.1The economic and financial crisis as a natural phenomenon: natural event, natural disaster or wild beast
      • 3.2.2The economic and financial crisis as consequence of human nature
      • 3.2.3The crisis as a matter of the decay of morality and values
      • 3.2.4The crisis as the result of the actions of certain social groups
      • 3.2.5The crisis as the result of systemic failures
    • 3.3Close analysis: Constellations of structural antisemitism
  • 4.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgments
  • Notes
  • Bibliography
Published online: 20 July 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.16040.sto
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