Celebrity 'Outsider' Politicians in the Digital Realm

Mark Wheeler is an Emeritus Professor of Political Communications, London Metropolitan University.

"Mark Wheeler has established a formidable reputation as a major commentator on the intersection between media culture and the democratic process. His book draws on his exemplary track record of examining the interplay between celebrity and politics and the result is that he able to provide a highly original exploration of the electoral phenomenon that is Donald Trump. But this formidable contribution helps explain and put Trump’s seemingly extraordinary success in context by exploring how and why he was able to strategically exploit his fame to help him win the White House. Professor Wheeler’s contribution transcends conventional forms of political analysis which have often struggled to understand the origins and appeal of this most idiosyncratic of presidents."Dominic Wring, Professor of Political Communication and Head of Communication and Media, Loughborough University

• Introduction. Chapter 1 - Celebrity, Digital Democracy and the public sphere Chapter 2: The Celebritisation of American Politics and online campaigning in the modern US Polity - methodologies and context Chapter 3: The Social Media Presidency and as a Political Outsider Chapter 4: Political marketing and advertising in the digital domain- The 2024 Presidential campaign case study Chapter 5: Donald Trump 2.0, Elon Musk, Podcasters and Social Media News Influencers - The political content of the Postmodern Celebrity Outsider Presidency Chapter 6: Celebrity Politicians, political efficacy and the democratic deficit Introduction Chapter 7: Post-script Bibliography