German-speaking Hyperpartisan, Alternative, and Conspiracy Telegram Channel Types: A Content Analysis

This article scrutinizes the anti-establishment media sphere in German-speaking countries along high-reach Telegram channels. We are theorizing this sphere as communicative figuration. To describe this figuration, we conducted a quantitative content analysis of the 40 most influential German-speaking hyperpartisan, alternative, and conspiracy Telegram channels (HAC) in 2023. Our sample of more than 2,700 single posts allows us to build a typology of these channels. Our seven types represent a broad variety of differ- ent practices. Thus, the alternative public discourse emerging from the most influential Telegram channels can be seen as a diverse and dynamic network of interactions. The im- portance of curation as an editorial practice seems to be a major characteristic of HAC Telegram channels.