From YouTube to Parliament: the dual role of political influencers in shaping climate change discourse

Despite overwhelming scientific consensus on human-caused climate change, the spread of climate misinformation remains alarmingly persistent. Online platforms amplify climate denial narratives, with political influencers emerging as significant players in this landscape, often using audio-based digital storytelling through platforms like YouTube and podcasts. This study investigates the role of political influencers within the climate change countermovement, focusing on Elsa Widding, a Swedish politician and prominent climate denialist. Widding’s journey from a niche YouTuber to Parliament member for the radical-right Sweden Democrats offers a compelling case for understanding how influencers mobilize audiences and shape public discourse. Analyzing over 2,000 minutes of her spoken-word content from 2019 to 2023, this study employs AI transcription, topic modeling, and qualitative analysis to address two questions: What topics in Widding´s digital content relate to climate change denial, and how do the embedded mobilizing ideas contribute to constructing a collective identity for the climate contrarian movement? Findings reveal how Widding leverages her dual roles as a politician and online micro-celebrity to articulate grievances, delegitimize scientific expertise, and reinforce ‘us vs. them’ narratives central to collective identity formation. This study advances understanding of climate misinformation by situating influencers within social movement theory and addressing methodological challenges in analysing audio-based content.