Political satire in the Republic of Macedonia: Forms of humour and satire types in the online satirical news outlet Koza Nostra

Abstract

Abstract Political satire is a type of critique that uses humour to reflect on issues in politics and media. While most of academic research has focused on entertainment shows in the United States, this study focuses on political satire in a different context, through identifying the forms of humour (irony and sarcasm) and satire types (juvenalian and horatian) in the Republic of Macedonia. In a content analysis of satirical news outlet Koza Nostra, it has been shown that lighter, more gentle horatian satire is predominant in the outlet’s articles (N=53), while instances of less inferential sarcasm outnumber those of complex irony. These findings demonstrate that political humour in the country is careful not to alienate its audiences, which in turn could be indicative of the manner in which satirical content is cognitively processed, and suggestive of wider implications for democracy and the public sphere in post-communist Eastern European countries.