Project title: Populism, pop culture and political communication in the age of
information chaos (Populizam, pop-kultura i politička komunikacija u doba
informacijskog nereda), Acronym: POLIPOP (FPZG-IP-08)
Thematical area of the project: Communication science, public relations, mass media,
Croatian politics
Duration of the project: 48 months (start date: 10/2025 – end date: 09/2029)
Total cost: 79.846,95 EUR (100 % EU contribution NextGenerationEU)

Principle investigator (PI): Full professor Marijana Grbeša Zenzerović

Research team members:
Full professor Berto Šalaj (FPZG)
Full professor Domagoj Bebić (FPZG)
Assistant professor Nikolina Borčić (FPZG)
Assistant professor Milica Vučković (FPZG)
Stela Lechpammer, PhD (FPZG)
Silvija Vuković, PhD (FPZG)
Full professor Božo Skoko (associated external expert, Algebra Bernays University)
Nina Krapić (associated external expert, Pontifical Gregorian University Rome)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
POLIPOP explores the relationship between populism, popular culture, and artificial intelligence
in the context of information disorder, disruptive political communication, and algorithmic
polarization. The project starts from the insight that political communication increasingly uses
the logic of entertainment, spectacle and personalization, especially on digital platforms. In the
process, populist politicians take on the styles of celebrities/influencers, and audiences respond
like fans in pop culture.
The project conceptualizes the phenomena of information disorder, disruptive communication,
celebrity populism and political fandom and analyses how these phenomena manifest in Croatia

and the world. There is a special focus on the strategic communication of populist and illiberal
actors, the role of memes, humour and deepfakes, and the use of AI tools in election campaigns
and the communication of selected political actors in general. The demand side will also be
investigated, that is, how audiences, especially young people, perceive and react to new types of
political messages. The project also aims to determine how the communication practices of
populist politicians, determined and driven by trends in the communication environment,
defined by digital technology, artificial intelligence, entertainment and the attention economy,
influence the transformation of mainstream politicians' communication. The project relies on a
combination of qualitative and quantitative methods in its research: content analysis, discursive
analysis, focus groups and case studies, with an emphasis on digital platforms. Through the
analysis of new forms of political communication and the reaction of audiences, POLIPOP
contributes to a better understanding of contemporary political communication and the
resilience of liberal democracies in times of information chaos.

Contact: Full professor Marijana Grbeša Zenzerović (marijana.grbesa@fpzg.hr)