We are pleased to invite you to the third lecture of the American Studies Colloquium Series in the 2025 Fall semester!
dr hab. Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer
(Koźmiński University)
“The Era of Political (Not) Kidding. How Politics Became a Strategically Ambiguous Joke”
Thursday, November 27, 2025
at 4:45 p.m.
You can get 3 OZN points for participating in this event.
Where?
Dobra 55, room 2.118
(the building features some mobility accommodations: ramp and lift)
What?
Based on her recent book, “(Not) Kidding: Politics in Online Tabloids,” Helena Chmielewska-Szlajfer argues that the “(not) kidding” frame has become a significant driver of politics today, from Poland to the United States. The volume provides a detailed analysis of media coverage during the 2015-2016 US presidential and Brexit campaigns, focusing on the articles and the emotional public sphere of comment sections in major British, Polish, and US online tabloids, Mail Online, Pudelek, and Gawker. Additionally, her interviews with 20 journalists and editors from these outlets shed light on newsrooms, production techniques, and professional values. While the book introduces the concept of the “(not) kidding” frame, which highlights the ambiguity and reactive nature of tabloids, this strategy is being increasingly adopted by politicians hoping for media attention, impunity, and votes.
Who?
