Image, self-presentation and political communication in the age of interconnection: An alternative understanding of the mediatization of politics

Abstract

The way politicians 'look' is taken to be one of the essential aspects of the 'mediatization' and 'professionalization' of politics. Yet there is very little research about the role of image and selfpresentation in political communication. This article presents the results of a study that aims to fill this gap by mapping where and how image fits within broader processes of identity and meaning construction in contemporary politics. On the basis of 51 interviews, it compares the role of personal image in the everyday political practices of both British and Italian local politicians and members of the European Parliament. The analysis develops an alternative conceptual framework to make sense of the role of image in twenty-first century politics, showing that the alleged deleterious effects of a 'cult of appearances' on democracy reflects more the narrowness of academic enquiry and the legacy of outdated linear models of politicsmedia relationships than the much more variegated and networked reality of contemporary politics. KEYWORDS mediatization professionalization image technology actor network theory (ANT) interviews Study of the UK and Italy (Palgrave, 2014). She has won, among other international prizes, the 2008 Denis McQuail Award for Innovating Communication Theory. Cristina's research interests cover political communication in its contemporary multifaceted forms. She has written on: the relationship between politicians and journalists; the role of image in the mediatization of politics; the impact of new media on diplomatic practice and diplomacy 2.0; the role the media in radicalization, extremism and counter-extremism and the effects of digital technologies on international journalism and foreign correspondence.