The personalisation of politics in comparative perspective: campaign coverage in Germany and the United Kingdom

Holtz-Bacha, C., Langer, A. I. and Merkle, S. (2014) The personalisation of politics in comparative perspective: campaign coverage in Germany and the United Kingdom. European Journal of Communication, 29(2), pp. 153-170. (doi: 10.1177/0267323113516727)

Full text not currently available from Enlighten.

Abstract

In the last few decades personalization has been identified as a defining trend of contemporary political communication. The empirical evidence, however, is mixed and there are very few studies that explore more than a single-case study. This article investigates media personalization in comparative perspective by analysing the press coverage of recent general elections in Germany (2009) and the United Kingdom (2010). Was the reporting in both campaigns (equally) personalized? How and to what extent does the phenomenon vary across the two countries? What does this mean for our understanding of personalization? The analysis shows that there are at least as many differences between the countries as there are similarities; although both campaigns can be considered personalized in some respects, the form it takes is substantially different due to structural variations in the media and political systems, as well as the more transient, but key, impact of the distinctive characteristics of the campaigns and each of the candidates.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Langer, Dr Ana Ines
Authors: Holtz-Bacha, C., Langer, A. I., and Merkle, S.
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
Journal Name:European Journal of Communication
Publisher:SAGE
ISSN:0267-3231
ISSN (Online):1460-3705

University Staff: Request a correction | Enlighten Editors: Update this record