Fear, Anger, and Mistrust: How Right-wing Alternative Media Influences Political Trust and Emotions about Politics

The rise of right-wing alternative media across many Western democracies has been discussed as a challenge to democratic institutions and processes, contributing to the erosion of political trust. Political trust scholars, as well as previous research on alternative media use, have both recognized that emotions play a crucial role in their subject of study. However, research investigating this affective component is extremely sparse. Drawing from appraisal theory and affective intelligence theory, this study investigates the role of anger and anxiety in the nexus between right-wing alternative media use and political trust. The study relies on data from a three-wave panel survey conducted in Austria ( N = 1,504) to estimate a random intercept cross-lagged panel model distinguishing within- and between-person relationships. Results suggest that right-wing alternative media use increased political anger over time. Further, anger reduced political trust over time. For anxiety, the picture is more nuanced: Political anxiety was not affected by right-wing alternative media use. Anxiety reduced political trust between wave 1 and wave 2, but not between wave 2 and wave 3. Neither anger nor anxiety increased right-wing alternative media use over time. Implications are discussed.