Political Communication
Summary lectures & articles
Sophie Gersjes
S4750101
,Index
Lecture 1: Introduction
What is political communication?
Political communication construction, sending, receiving and processing of messages that
potentially have an impact on politics.
Political communication is an interdisciplinary field
- Crossroads of communication sciences and political sciences
- Also psychology and neuroscience
Empirically political communication topics are rare. Communication is not mentioned a lot. In
Communication studies politics are mentioned a lot.
→ Most policom communication deal with (high to low %)
1. Electoral campaigns 22.5
2. New media 10.2
3. Civic engagement 9.5
4. Media and IR 8.7
5. How citizens process political info 6.5
Holistic view key actors
, 1. Politics
2. Electoral campaigns
3. Public Opinion/ Civil society
Theme 1 Media systems
Theme 2 Media and democracy
Theme 3 Electoral campaigns
Theme 4 Impact of the media on politics
Political Cartoons
More research on cartoons after Charlie Hebdo. The cartoons vary in humour and content.
Theoretical background
Definition distorted exaggerated images, usually mass produces, which employ iconic types
and visual metaphors to affect power in society.
Descriptive vs Explanatory analysis what it is + types vs effects cartoons have or causes
Studied haphazardly since 1967 but few people from the mainstream.
Since Danish cartoons in Jylland Posten, more attention → even more after
attacks
How to analyze
Analyste the content/visuals. You start descriptive, always look at countries. You come up
with a coding scheme Wild et al
1. Narrative What is the story line?
2. Domestication How does cartoonist bring it closer to home. Make it understandable
for the readers
3. Binary struggle Who are portrayed in a binary struggle. It can be implicit as well
4. Normatieve transference Who is the loser?
Political preference influences the way that people look at the cartoons. They find it funnier.
But if you add a explainer it is not as funny anymore because people know that they are
being laughed at.
Articles
Not so sexy: public opinion of political sex scandals as reflected in political cartoons (Widd,
Pitt, Engstrom, 2011)
What does the public think of the involvement of politicians in scandals?
Theories cartoons
Issues
1. What are the effects of political cartoons?
2. How do cartoons use graphic devices to persuade?
, Weak political cartoons reflect public attitudes
Strong political cartoons persuade and shape public attitudes, intentions and behaviours
Six techniques of persuasion in cartoons
1. Use of line and form → create mood and tone
2. Relative size of objects within frame
3. Amplification of physiological features
4. Placement in frame
5. Relation text to imagery
6. Rhythmic montage → arises from interaction of techniques
Political sex scandals
Eliot Spitzer and emperor’s club democratic politician who spend 15000 on EC →
resigned
Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky 43nd president of America who had a sexual
relationship with the 22-year old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky →
got impeached but left office with the highest enf of office approval
rating of any US president since WWII
John edwards and Rielle Hunter US Senate, democrat who became father of a child from
former campaign worker Rielle Hunter. Announcement of extramarital affair occurred when
his wife was fighting metastatic breast cancer
Coding sample
Criteria coding sheet
1. Narrative what is the essential story line?
2. Domestication how does the image bring distant events closer to home?
3. Binary struggle who are portrayed in a binary struggle? Who is right? Who is wrong?
4. Normative transference who is portrayed in the cartoon as the loser?
Findings
Spitzer
1. Narrative cartoon focussed on sex scandal, values and his downfall
2. Domestication political event
3. Struggle
4. Normative transference Spitzer seen as loser
Clinton
1. Narrative more evenly spread between scandal, character assassination, election
campaign and his influence and power
2. Domestication political event
3. Struggle the other side of the struggle featured his wife Hilary or Monica
Summary lectures & articles
Sophie Gersjes
S4750101
,Index
Lecture 1: Introduction
What is political communication?
Political communication construction, sending, receiving and processing of messages that
potentially have an impact on politics.
Political communication is an interdisciplinary field
- Crossroads of communication sciences and political sciences
- Also psychology and neuroscience
Empirically political communication topics are rare. Communication is not mentioned a lot. In
Communication studies politics are mentioned a lot.
→ Most policom communication deal with (high to low %)
1. Electoral campaigns 22.5
2. New media 10.2
3. Civic engagement 9.5
4. Media and IR 8.7
5. How citizens process political info 6.5
Holistic view key actors
, 1. Politics
2. Electoral campaigns
3. Public Opinion/ Civil society
Theme 1 Media systems
Theme 2 Media and democracy
Theme 3 Electoral campaigns
Theme 4 Impact of the media on politics
Political Cartoons
More research on cartoons after Charlie Hebdo. The cartoons vary in humour and content.
Theoretical background
Definition distorted exaggerated images, usually mass produces, which employ iconic types
and visual metaphors to affect power in society.
Descriptive vs Explanatory analysis what it is + types vs effects cartoons have or causes
Studied haphazardly since 1967 but few people from the mainstream.
Since Danish cartoons in Jylland Posten, more attention → even more after
attacks
How to analyze
Analyste the content/visuals. You start descriptive, always look at countries. You come up
with a coding scheme Wild et al
1. Narrative What is the story line?
2. Domestication How does cartoonist bring it closer to home. Make it understandable
for the readers
3. Binary struggle Who are portrayed in a binary struggle. It can be implicit as well
4. Normatieve transference Who is the loser?
Political preference influences the way that people look at the cartoons. They find it funnier.
But if you add a explainer it is not as funny anymore because people know that they are
being laughed at.
Articles
Not so sexy: public opinion of political sex scandals as reflected in political cartoons (Widd,
Pitt, Engstrom, 2011)
What does the public think of the involvement of politicians in scandals?
Theories cartoons
Issues
1. What are the effects of political cartoons?
2. How do cartoons use graphic devices to persuade?
, Weak political cartoons reflect public attitudes
Strong political cartoons persuade and shape public attitudes, intentions and behaviours
Six techniques of persuasion in cartoons
1. Use of line and form → create mood and tone
2. Relative size of objects within frame
3. Amplification of physiological features
4. Placement in frame
5. Relation text to imagery
6. Rhythmic montage → arises from interaction of techniques
Political sex scandals
Eliot Spitzer and emperor’s club democratic politician who spend 15000 on EC →
resigned
Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky 43nd president of America who had a sexual
relationship with the 22-year old White House intern, Monica Lewinsky →
got impeached but left office with the highest enf of office approval
rating of any US president since WWII
John edwards and Rielle Hunter US Senate, democrat who became father of a child from
former campaign worker Rielle Hunter. Announcement of extramarital affair occurred when
his wife was fighting metastatic breast cancer
Coding sample
Criteria coding sheet
1. Narrative what is the essential story line?
2. Domestication how does the image bring distant events closer to home?
3. Binary struggle who are portrayed in a binary struggle? Who is right? Who is wrong?
4. Normative transference who is portrayed in the cartoon as the loser?
Findings
Spitzer
1. Narrative cartoon focussed on sex scandal, values and his downfall
2. Domestication political event
3. Struggle
4. Normative transference Spitzer seen as loser
Clinton
1. Narrative more evenly spread between scandal, character assassination, election
campaign and his influence and power
2. Domestication political event
3. Struggle the other side of the struggle featured his wife Hilary or Monica
