Suchergebnisse

The recent developments in political communication, in particular the process of popularization of politics and the diffusion of Internet, are notably challenging the relationship between citizens and media. In this rapidly evolving context it is worth analysing the role of political discussion in personal networks and small groups. Also, very recent research has offered new evidence to the old thesis that, despite the massive presence of mass media, personal discussion shapes the formation of the political opinion. A particularly important aspect concerns the nature of opinion leadership: who are the new opinion leaders able to influence processes of interpersonal communication? This article reassesses such a theoretical framework by reviewing the state-of-the-art and providing a foundation for a debate on the themes of trust in information sources and the impact of opinion leaders.

The article investigates the role of the language of antipolitics in policy propaganda. Populist language is commonly regarded as a useful tool to antagonize ruling elites and replace them in power. Less attention is devoted to the use of populist imagery in channelling popular consensus on projects of political reform or specific policy programmes. The article analyzes how the antipolitics motivation among citizens can be nurtured and amplified by the government, and in particular by charismatic leaders, in order to create support for reform of public administration and/or the introduction of new economic and social policies. The paper provides and discusses some cases of democratic leaders who used the populist language. ; El artículo investiga el rol del lenguaje de la antipolítica en la propaganda política. El lenguaje populista es considerado comúnmente como una herramienta útil a la hora de antagonizar con las élites gobernantes y reemplazarlas en el poder. Menos atención se ha dedicado al uso de la imaginería populista en la canalización del consenso popular sobre proyectos de reforma política o de programas de política específicos. El artículo analiza cómo la motivación de la antipolítica entre los ciudadanos puede ser fomentada y amplificada por el gobierno y, en particular, por los líderes carismáticos, a fin de crear apoyo para reformas de la administración pública y/o la introducción de nuevas políticas económicas y sociales. El documento proporciona y discute algunos casos de líderes democráticos que utilizaron el lenguaje populista.

In contemporary democracies, the construction of political leadership is driven by communication strategies with greater emphasis on image over substance and personality over ideology. This article analyzes two countries, Italy and France, that have been recently characterized by a remarkable increase in the personalization and mediatization of politics. First, the article intends to identify some key features of the leadership that emerge and prove to be successful in mediatized democracies. Second, the article makes a comparison of Italian and French electoral campaigns, paying special attention to the role of the media in the construction of leadership. Finally, the article examines the cases of two leaders who have left their mark on recent electoral campaigns and are credited with remarkable expertise in political marketing and news management: Silvio Berlusconi and Nicolas Sarkozy.