Power and personality: Politicians on the World Wide Web

TY - JOUR

T1 - Power and personality

T2 - Politicians on the World Wide Web

AU - Bondebjerg, Ib

PY - 2007

Y1 - 2007

N2 - This article is a comparative analysis of the websites of four of the most powerful leaders in the world: two presidents (George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac) and two prime ministers (Angela Merkel and Tony Blair). The analysis focuses on the structure and content of the websites; the relation between textual elements, visual and other elements; the types of information given; the way it addresses users; and to what degree and in what forms interactive potentials for dialogue are constructed. The ways in which the relation between the official, political person, the representative of the nation and the more personal aspects of these politicians are constructed are key focus points seen in the more theoretical context of mediated politics and the mediation of the political personae in the present media-saturated society. The comparative analysis shows significant national differences in the way the political leaders are linked to national symbols and national cultural identity. The last part of the article discusses the empirical data on the rising importance of political websites for the general population. KeywordsInternet Political websites Democracy Political communication Interactivity

AB - This article is a comparative analysis of the websites of four of the most powerful leaders in the world: two presidents (George W. Bush and Jacques Chirac) and two prime ministers (Angela Merkel and Tony Blair). The analysis focuses on the structure and content of the websites; the relation between textual elements, visual and other elements; the types of information given; the way it addresses users; and to what degree and in what forms interactive potentials for dialogue are constructed. The ways in which the relation between the official, political person, the representative of the nation and the more personal aspects of these politicians are constructed are key focus points seen in the more theoretical context of mediated politics and the mediation of the political personae in the present media-saturated society. The comparative analysis shows significant national differences in the way the political leaders are linked to national symbols and national cultural identity. The last part of the article discusses the empirical data on the rising importance of political websites for the general population. KeywordsInternet Political websites Democracy Political communication Interactivity

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1601-829X

VL - 5

SP - 119

EP - 140

JO - Nordic Journal of Media Studies.

JF - Nordic Journal of Media Studies.

IS - 1

ER -