Visual Political Communication

Abstract Visuals play an increasingly important role in political communication and are used for a number of functions. Especially important today is the role of social media, which favors video clips and encourages negative campaigning; in fact, it is impossible to envision political communication today without a strong visual component. Although the functions of the visual elements vary, they all contribute to the argumentation of the text (e.g., through emotional appeal, image building, or connection to societal symbols). At the same time, the development of social media has led to a profusion of senders, whose identity might be known or unknown. This has significantly changed the traditional view of political communication as a form of strategic communication by organized senders (parties, politicians, and organizations) to a much more heterogeneous multitude of texts. Simultaneously, the definition of what is political has moved from the restrictive view (politics being what parties and politicians do) to a broader one, seeing politics as a matter of politization: Politics is what can be politicized (i.e., be seen as political by the public). Together, these developments constitute a new environment for visual political communication by a plethora of senders in all available media, resulting in political strife regarding topics that were previously considered outside of the realm of politics. This also presents opportunities for covert influence through propaganda, disinformation, and manipulation.