The role of mass media in constructing the public image of political leaders: theoretical approaches

In contemporary society, mass media holds a fundamental role in constructing the public image of political actors, owing to its capacity for political persuasion and its significant influence over public opinion. Journalists shape public perception not only through the selection of topics they choose to disseminate, but also through the interpretative frameworks they apply when presenting political realities within their content.Thus, the media exercises the power to actively shape the political landscape and contribute to the formation of political leaders' public images - thereby exerting either a positive or negative influence on how these actors are represented in the public sphere. Due to its capacity to reflect political life and to circulate information concerning political processes, phenomena, and events, the mass media has emerged as a strategic instrument for promoting the activities of political parties and for crafting the public image of their leadership. In this context, the influence of the mass media resides, on one hand, in its potential to construct and consolidate the public image of political leaders, and on the other, in its ability to distort or undermine an already established image, potentially leading to the erosion of public representation.