Politicians, celebrities and social media: a case of informalisation?

Abstract

With electoral politics no longer organised by social class, politicians increasingly seek to relate to a broad spectrum of citizens and part of their relatability is conjured through more casual, informal performances aimed at cultivating authenticity. The various platforms of social media promote forms of authentic communication by blurring the public/private divide, creating instant access to This article seeks to investigate the informalization thesis (Wouters, 2007) by applying it to data from young people aged 16-21 years in Australia, the UK and the USA asked about the way politicians and celebrities use social media. Findings reveal respondents desire for more authentic and accessible politicians, but this was in direct tension with traditional views and expectations of politicians needing to be professional, informed and worthy of respect. Informalization amongst politicians is evident and welcomed by young citizens but persistent traditional views means it also threatens their credibility.

Political Authenticity: Conceptualization of a Popular Term

“…Especially social media technologies provide politicians with "an environment where authenticity is simultaneously promised, demanded, and disputed" (Shane 2018: 3). Intrinsic technological features of social media (e.g., reply features) and related modes of communication (e.g., sharing of private information) can shape performances, create feelings of immediacy, or blur the lines between public and private communication (Dumitrica 2014;Manning et al 2016).…”

“…Performed or perceived intimacy construct authenticity because one is less subject to public expectations in private settings, making it more likely that people show their real and authentic self (Ferrara 1993;Hans 2017). Political authenticity as intimacy describes a performance or portrayal that involves the sharing or disclosure of personal details by politicians or the media (Enli 2015;Gaden and Dumitrica 2015;Lilleker 2006;Manning et al 2016). This suggests a procedural understanding of intimacy as "a revelatory process which involves the publicizing of information and imagery from what we might ordinarily understand as a politician's personal life" (Stanyer 2013: 14).…”

“…Relevant indicators of intimacy are the disclosure of politicians' personal information, such as details about their life story (Pillow et al 2018), personal and biographical information (Dumitrica 2014;Gaden and Dumitrica 2015), or private thoughts, opinions, and feelings (Liu et al 2015;Manning et al 2016). Disclosure relates to authenticity because it increases politicians' emotional vulnerability, which is considered as one possible key to judge someone as authentic (Dumitrica 2014;Wood et al 2016).…”

“…The desire for authenticity also holds true for the political sphere, where it constitutes a prominent narrative in modern political communication. Politicians, the media, and the public refer to the concept of authenticity when they discuss if politicians are true to themselves (Fordahl 2018;Louden and McCauliff 2004;Manning et al 2016;Pillow et al 2018;Potter 2010). While some scholars interpret authenticity as a normative ideal to judge whether politicians are real or fake (Ferrara 1998;Jamieson and Waldman 2003;Jones 2016;Shane 2018), others contest this idealistic notion of authenticity and characterize it as a nostalgic delusion or an indicator of superficiality in the political discourse (Hardt 1993;Serazio 2015).…”

It’s Getting Personal: Personalisation of political campaigns in four Prague districts during the 2018 Czech Senate elections

“…They are citizens living among their electorate, and strive to make themselves relatable beyond the scope of their formal office (see e.g. Bene 2017, Gerodimos -Justinussen 2015, Manning et al 2017, Ross -Burger 2014, or as professionals who possess individual qualities and can bear professional responsibility for political activities and tasks , Kruikemeier 2014.…”