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Kurt Sengul

@kurtsengul.bsky.social
2.1K followers 2K following 122 posts

Political communication and media scholar. Macquarie University postdoctoral research fellow. Researching: the far right, media, populism, fascism, and democracy 🌈 scholar.google.com/citations?user=W…

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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
🚨 Excited to see our chapter ‘Harmful Visual Humour on Far-Right Social Media: Generative AI and Reactionary Memes’ is now out now out in the Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics ✍️ Written with Imogen Richards, Callum Jones and Jordan McSwiney www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 01/05/2026
🚨 I recorded a podcast for @theconversation.com’s The Making of One Nation’ series. My episode focuses the role of the media in the rise of Pauline Hanson There are some other cracking episodes, including @benmoffitt.bsky.social and @joshsunman.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/t...
podcasts.apple.com
5 | The Making of One Nation: master the media
Podcast Episode · The Making of One Nation · 29 April · 25min
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
🚨Pauline Hanson was apparently a hot commodity at the “Science Meets Parliament” dinner this year How should the scientific community engage with anti-science parties like One Nation? I contributed a few thoughts to this interesting piece in The Monthly ✍️ www.themonthly.com.au/may-2026/nat...
themonthly.com.au
She blinded me with pretence
At what point do selfies with Pauline Hanson at the annual “Science Meets Parliament” dinner legitimise One Nation’s misinformation campaigns?
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
🚨 I have a new article in @theconversation.com with Jordan McSwiney on One Nation’s policy positions theconversation.com/what-does-on...
theconversation.com
What does One Nation actually believe in?
The party has long been big on grievances, but its policies tend to be short on detail.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
I spoke to Jenna Price for this cracking piece in the Canberra Times on Pauline Hanson’s latest Islamophobic tirade Jenna takes Hanson to task, and doesn’t miss ⬇️ www.canberratimes.com.au/story/917875...
canberratimes.com.au
This is a desperate attempt to remain in the public eye. Australia shouldn't buy into it
Canavan can tell the kind of pomposity Australians loathe.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
🚨 I spoke to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) with some colleagues about One Nation’s meteoric rise Some really good data visualisation in this Story Lab piece www.abc.net.au/news/2026-02...
abc.net.au
'I am shocked': Unpacking One Nation's spectacular rise in the polls
Pauline Hanson's One Nation has seen the fastest polling rise in modern Australian politics. What is going on?
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Political Studies @polstudies.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
How do non-party actors view far-right parties in Australia? @imogenrichards.bsky.social, Callum Jones, Jordan McSwiney & @kurtsengul.bsky.social explore perceptions & relationships within the far-right ecosystem beyond formal politics. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/EJKn2bX @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social
buff.ly
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
🚨 New article by me and Jordan McSwiney in The Conversation about One Nation’s long history of dysfunction, infighting and scandal, and why this is will be one of the biggest barriers to the party translating its polling surge into electoral success theconversation.com/can-one-nati...
theconversation.com
Can One Nation turn its polling hype into seats in parliament? History shows it will struggle
Pauline Hanson’s party has been dysfunctional and scandal-ridden for its entire existence. Capitalising on strong polling will mean changing decades-old patterns.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Could Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point really gain traction in Australia? I spoke to Tory Shepherd from @theguardian.com for this piece ✍️ www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
theguardian.com
From cute dogs to Turning Point: the journey of an influencer aiming to breathe rightwing Christian values into Australian politics
Emboldened by major successes in the US and UK, the conservative Christian organisation Turning Point has its sights set on Australia’s political ecosystem
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
🚨 Chuffed to see my new chapter with Jordan McSwiney published Racism, Amplification and Mainstreaming: News Media and the Australian Far Right The chapter features in a vital new book ‘The Far Right and the Media’, brilliantly edited by Imogen Richards 🥳 www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edi...
taylorfrancis.com
Racism, Amplification, and Mainstreaming | 4 | News media and the Aust
This chapter critically explores the relationship between news media and the far right. The role of news media in the amplification, mainstreaming and
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Barrie Shannon @barrieshannon.com · 21/01/2026
I've finally got around to writing a very brief summary of my paper with @kurtsengul.bsky.social on the anti-gender politics of the Australian far-right. 🌈🎓
barrieshannon.com
Mainstreaming LGBTQIA+ hate: the far-right’s anti-gender countermovement in Australia
Sengul, K., & Shannon, B. (2025). Mainstreaming LGBTQIA+ hate: The far-right’s anti-gender countermovement in Australia. Australian Journal of Political Science. Abstract This paper critically …
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mkrzyzanowski.bsky.social @mkrzyzanowski.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Now published: Our analytical paper on strategic, far-right/illiberal reversal of meanings of key social & political concepts: “We put family at the centre of social life”: On Conceptual flipsiding of the “family” in discursive-political strategies of PL populist far-right" doi.org/10.1080/1035...
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Alessandro Nai @alessandronai.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
After 3 years and 5,322 emails (and counting) our Encyclopedia of Political Communication is finally out at @elgarpublishing.bsky.social 📚 Three volumes ⭐ 431 entries 🎓 581 wonderful authors from across the world A very short 🧵
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
🌈 Very excited to share my new article with @barrieshannon.com in the Australian Journal of Political Science ‘Mainstreaming LGBTQIA+ hate: the far right’s anti-gender countermovement in Australia’ url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/q4GHCROND2...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 16/11/2025
It’s not often that I find myself recommending Oprah, but this is a powerful insight into how far-right movements benefit from being given mainstream media platforms, despite the best intentions of the journalist to “hold them to account”
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 13/11/2025
This was a nice surprise!
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Feeling incredibly lucky and privileged to be part of a successful ARC Discovery Project application ❤️ ‘Foreign conflicts, domestic divides: Advancing a deliberative response’
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Political Studies @polstudies.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
How do non-party actors view far-right parties in Australia? @imogenrichards.bsky.social, Callum Jones, Jordan McSwiney & @kurtsengul.bsky.social explore perceptions & relationships within the far-right ecosystem beyond formal politics. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/NAkMOVU @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social
buff.ly
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
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Reposted by Kurt Sengul
Political Studies @polstudies.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
How do non-party actors view far-right parties in Australia? @imogenrichards.bsky.social, Callum Jones, Jordan McSwiney & @kurtsengul.bsky.social explore perceptions & relationships within the far-right ecosystem beyond formal politics. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/RIP41sg @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 13/09/2025
🚨 I spoke to The ABC for this story on the future of the far right in Australia… www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
abc.net.au
Far-right figures want to see shift away from Australia's 'legacy' politicians
Australia's far-right movement has been buoyed by a wave of recent protests against mass immigration, with some saying the rallies were the "biggest thing that's happened in conservative and nationali...
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Discourse, Context and Media Journal @dcmjournal.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
@kurtsengul.bsky.social analyses how spaces are used by far-right online communities. 🔷Drawing on #CriticalDiscoursAnalysis & #netography, the analysis the prominent role of spaces in electoral campaigns. 🔷It also shows the need of adapted methods. ⬇️⬇️ bsky.app/profile/kurt...
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Crystal Jane @crystaljane.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
I wrote this. Every journalist, social media producer and news influencer in Aus should read it & memorise @whiterosesociety.bsky.social principles of reporting. Huge thank you to @kurtsengul.bsky.social for invaluable expertise, I was very tempted to publish all your answers verbatim. #auspol
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 05/09/2025
🚨I spoke to Crikey for this story on the need for better media reporting on the far right! Long story short: stop giving neo-Nazis propaganda wins www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/05/h...
crikey.com.au
How to report on neo-Nazis without giving them what they want
Media coverage of the anti-immigration marches was a 'propaganda triumph' for Australian neo-Nazis, who use media-baiting tactics to spread their message.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
🚨 New article in The Conversation from Callum Jones and myself. We wanted to focus specifically on how the white nationalist rallies were supported and amplified online by far-right actors like Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson theconversation.com/how-australi...
theconversation.com
How Australia’s anti-immigration rallies were amplified online by the global far right
Prominent figures such as Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson are increasingly using social media to unite far-right groups and causes around the world.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 02/09/2025
🚨 New article in The Conversation from Callum Jones and myself. We wanted to focus specifically on how the white nationalist rallies were supported and amplified online by far-right actors like Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson theconversation.com/how-australi...
theconversation.com
How Australia’s anti-immigration rallies were amplified online by the global far right
Prominent figures such as Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson are increasingly using social media to unite far-right groups and causes around the world.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 28/08/2025
I spoke to the ABC about the white nationalist March for Australia rallies taking place this weekend But one unfortunate downside of researching the far right is being referred to as “a far-right researcher” in the media www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
🚨 We have a new article out in Political Studies Will hopefully be of interest to scholars of the far-right, party politics, social movements, and anyone drawing breath really Led by the excellent Imogen Richards, & Callum Jones & with Jordan McSwiney & me journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 18/08/2025
🚨 We have a new article out in Political Studies Will hopefully be of interest to scholars of the far-right, party politics, social movements, and anyone drawing breath really Led by the excellent Imogen Richards, & Callum Jones & with Jordan McSwiney & me journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 13/08/2025
🚨 We’ve added a pre-print of our forthcoming chapter ‘Harmful Visual Humour on Far-Right Social Media: Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Reactionary Memes’ ✍️ The chapter is forthcoming in the Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics (2026) www.researchgate.net/publication/...
researchgate.net
(PDF) Harmful Visual Humour on Far-Right Social Media: Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Reactionary Memes
PDF | On Jul 22, 2025, Kurt Sengul and others published Harmful Visual Humour on Far-Right Social Media: Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Reactionary Memes | Find, read and cite all the res...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
I spoke to @euronews.com this week about the Trump administration’s use of Generative AI www.euronews.com/culture/2025...
euronews.com
AI & memes: How the Trump administration engages in 'memetic warfare'
Euronews Culture explores how the Trump administration has taken inspiration from online far-right communities and is using AI-generated memes to communicate on its achievements. And mock its enemies.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
I spoke to @euronews.com this week about the Trump administration’s use of Generative AI www.euronews.com/culture/2025...
euronews.com
AI & memes: How the Trump administration engages in 'memetic warfare'
Euronews Culture explores how the Trump administration has taken inspiration from online far-right communities and is using AI-generated memes to communicate on its achievements. And mock its enemies.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 07/08/2025
List some examples of research impact Me: Uhh, I’m one of the citations on Laura Loomer’s Wikipedia page?
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
Blair Williams and I are co-editing a special issue of the Australian Journal of Political Science on LGBTQIA+ politics in Australia 🏳️‍🌈 🏳️‍⚧️ We’re thrilled to see the first paper of the issue now online by Emerita Professor Carol Johnson: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
Mobilising LGBTIQA+ issues in Australian Liberal/National Party politics: from same-sex marriage to anti ‘gender ideology’
There is a long history internationally of socially conservative politicians using negative policy discourse around LGBTQIA+ issues in attempts to mobilise electoral support and wedge political opp...
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Australian Journal of Political Science @ausjpolsci.bsky.social · 06/06/2025
Elon Musk is in the news again - and we know he's talked a lot about the 'woke mind virus'. But what does the 'war on woke' look like here in Australia? Check our Marian Sawer & @kurtsengul.bsky.social's new article on the topic in the Australian Journal of Political Science @auspsa.bsky.social
tandfonline.com
The war on woke: continuity and change in Australian anti-elitist discourses
The ‘War on Woke’ is the latest form of populist anti-elitist discourse in Australia. It includes a number of elements already analysed 20 years ago such as the role of the Murdoch print media in c...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
🚨 Happy to see my new paper with Prof Marian Sawer out in the Australian Journal of Political Science The good news: it’s open access The bad news: It’s about the “war on woke” www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The war on woke: continuity and change in Australian anti-elitist discourses
The ‘War on Woke’ is the latest form of populist anti-elitist discourse in Australia. It includes a number of elements already analysed 20 years ago such as the role of the Murdoch print media in c...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
🚨 Happy to see my new paper with Prof Marian Sawer out in the Australian Journal of Political Science The good news: it’s open access The bad news: It’s about the “war on woke” www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
tandfonline.com
The war on woke: continuity and change in Australian anti-elitist discourses
The ‘War on Woke’ is the latest form of populist anti-elitist discourse in Australia. It includes a number of elements already analysed 20 years ago such as the role of the Murdoch print media in c...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 20/05/2025
Really excited to be getting my first PhD student next month. So I’m actually *happy* to be doing modules today
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 17/05/2025
Proofing on a Saturday. Could be worse
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
Oh cool
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 06/05/2025
🚨 Neo-Nazis were allowed to set the media and political agenda for a week during the Australian election We wrote about the abhorrent Welcome to Country stunt and the critical failure of the media in the ABC’s Religion & Ethics www.abc.net.au/religion/eth...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 04/05/2025
The biggest media loser from #AusVotes2025 is Sharri Markson: Claimed the polls were wrong, called a Labor majority “a fantasy”, parroted “high level” Liberal sources suggesting they’d win 65 seats and even insinuated that her own organisation’s Newspoll was rigging their polls in favour of Labor
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 27/04/2025
A textbook case of neo-Nazi agenda setting in three parts: 1. Neo-Nazi disrupts a Welcome to Country on ANZAC day 2. Conservative media: Well I don’t agree with their methods, but they’re right on the issue 3. Opposition leader: Welcome to Country ceremonies are “overdone”
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
🚨 Thrilled to share my latest publication with Jay Daniel Thompson I’m really excited to see this (finally) published. We hope it adds another voice to critical conversations surrounding the problematic relationship between news media and the far right journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Another day, another far-right influencer complaining about the polarized dating market I wrote about this with the emergence of the right-wing dating app, The Right Stuff www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
Since its trending over on the bad site, if anyone wants to read my new article on the far-right’s use of X/Twitter Spaces, it’s open access: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
🚨 Happy to share my latest open-access research which examines the use of Twitter’s live-audio conversational feature, Spaces, with far-right communities I argue that the Elon Musk backed Spaces has emerged as a powerful communicative tool for the far-right www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 13/04/2025
I contributed to this ABC story on the Australian far-right news site The Noticer which routinely publishes neo-Nazi content and has been shared by sitting parliamentarians www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04...
abc.net.au
Neo-Nazis say this site is their 'biggest weapon' and candidates are spreading it
Federal election candidates and elected officials are sharing content from The Noticer, a news site regularly publishing articles promoting white supremacist and neo-Nazi ideologies.
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 12/04/2025
🚨 Happy to share my latest open-access research which examines the use of Twitter’s live-audio conversational feature, Spaces, with far-right communities I argue that the Elon Musk backed Spaces has emerged as a powerful communicative tool for the far-right www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 05/04/2025
The one job I don’t mind doing on the weekend? Proofs
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Kurt Sengul @kurtsengul.bsky.social · 01/04/2025
A nice lil treat in the inbox. I’m excited for this paper to see the light of day
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