Mobilizing the Cultural Backlash: An Analysis of the Reception of Russian Strategic Narratives in a Far-Right Online Ecosystem

Abstract This article analyzes the reception of Russian strategic narratives to understand which discursive elements contribute to their success, and especially to their adoption in the discourse emerging from far-right online outlets employing a qualitative approach. The analysis of a textual corpus of several hundred website-based articles from Italian far-right outlets revealed how Russia is imagined as an ideal and alternative political model, described as a harbinger of morality, independence, and culture, and it is juxtaposed to a weak and culturally decadent West. The result of the analysis shows how themes pertaining to the grievances of the cultural backlash majorly contribute to the themes informing the discourse summarized above, thus uncovering an important feature contributing to the success of such propaganda efforts among disenfranchised domestic publics.