Anti-feminism in the spotlight: Media coverage of German parties’ gender and sexuality policies in the 2024 European Parliament election campaign

Right-wing populist parties (RWPPs) across Europe are increasingly politicising anti-feminist positions on gender and sexuality issues. However, little is known about how this mobilisation translates into media coverage. We argue that RWPPs’ polarising positions appeal to news values like conflict and sensationalism, leading to greater visibility, particularly compared to traditional issue owners that promote gender equality. We conduct a quantitative content analysis of party manifestos and six months of newspaper coverage during the 2024 European Parliament elections in Germany to examine whether media attention on gender issues corresponds with parties’ manifesto emphasis and whether the RWPP Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is disproportionately visible. Our findings show that the AfD promoted distinctly negative gender positions and received more gender-related coverage than any other party. While mostly negative in tone, this coverage amplifies the party's anti-feminist discourse, with broader implications for gender equality and the role of news media in democratic societies.