Article published in:
Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 9:2 (2010) ► pp. 219–236

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.
Keywords: visuals, qualitative interviews, politicians, press photographers, strategies
Published online: 15 July 2010
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.9.2.03kro
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