The fragility of visuals : How politicians manage their mediated visibility in the press

• This study aims at understanding how politicians of both genders who are constantly in the media relate to, and manage, their mediated visibility. I assume that politicians who are constantly subject to visual exposure need to manage their experienced lack of control by developing various strategies in order to feel more empowered than perhaps is possible given the media's power of framing their political personas. Six Swedish politicians in prominent positions were interviewed qualitatively using open-ended questions relating to their views on press photographers, the role of visuals and personal experiences of being visualised in the press. It was found that the politicians develop both manifest counter-strategies as well as more latent, reflexive ones which all imply an unwillingness to submit to the media's visual framing power.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Media and Communications (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Politicians

news

press

visuals

visuals

interviews

Media and communication studies

Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap

Media and Communication Studies

Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)