The Paranormal Counter-Public: The Impact of Platform Mediatization on the UAP Disclosure Discourse in American Politics

Abstract

This paper examines how mediatization processes in digital environments fundamentally transform political authority construction and democratic knowledge production. Drawing on mediatization theory and platform studies, the research analyzes how different media logics create divergent information ecosystems, enabling non-traditional actors to construct alternative forms of epistemic authority that can influence mainstream institutions while operating outside traditional gatekeeping mechanisms. Using UAP (unexplained anomalous phenomena) discourse as a critical case study, systematic analysis of media platforms from 2017-2025 demonstrates the migration of political discourse from institutional to algorithmic curation, facilitating the formation of “paranormal counter-public” that transcend conventional left-right divisions. The study reveals how platform-specific factors – especially algorithmic amplification and parasocial relationships – alter epistemological frameworks through which audiences evaluate evidence and expertise. These findings illuminate broader democratic transformations in how societies negotiate boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate knowledge claims, allocate speaking authority, and legitimate political action in an increasingly mediatized world.