How can political humor and satire advance democracy?

The tenth episode of the Library's Avoimella otteella podcast discusses political humor and satire, and their importance for democracy. You'll find more reading on the relationship between humor and power in the Library's themed collection.

Humor has been a tool in political discourse throughout history, and it has been used to criticise the use of power and decision-making. At best satirical media content can promote democracy and challenge existing power dynamics. The changes in media are also reflected in political humor, especially in the age of social media. 

The library's themed collection gathers together reading on the history and study of political satire, and on the different forms of humor in contemporary media.

The Library's themed collection dives deeper into the subject 

Themed collections are curated by the Library's specialists, and they offer a selection of books, journals and other information sources on various current topics.

You will find themed collections in Helka's main navigation menu - come and check them out! 

Do you have an idea for a new themed collection? Please send us your suggestions by emailing hulib-comms@helsinki.fi!