Post-Truth and Political Discourse

Block, David (2019). Post-Truth and Political Discourse. London: Palgrave Macmillan. 

Post-Truth and Political Discourse critically examines key notions such as truth (and truths), the propagation of ignorance and post-truth. Focusing especially on corrupt discourses and agnotology, it explores the role of anti-intellectualism, emotion and social media in the cultural creation, legitimisation and dissemination of ignorance. While encompassing analysis of discourses on Donald Trump, Brexit, climate change and the Alt-Right, the book furthers our understanding of post-truth as a global phenomena by providing a revealing analysis of political communications relating to corruption scandals involving the Spanish conservative party. Through an innovative theoretical framework that combines critical discourse and discourse historical approaches with nuanced political analysis, Post-Truth and Political Discourse uncovers the rhetorical means by which esoteric truths and misleading narratives about corruption are created and demonstrates how they become, in their turn, corrupt discourses. This book offers fresh insights for scholars of Discourse Analysis, Sociolinguistics, Politics, Cultural and Communication Studies, and also appeals to general readers with an interest in political communication and Spanish politics.