For both, Obama and Trump, the political communication via official photographs serves the purpose to convey and reinforce their political core messages. Still, both take a very different approach since they also have very different key messages to send out. In the case of Donald Trump the official photographs can be considered as to be set in a broader political "communicative context" to underline his core message of him being the central figure to solve America’s problems.
For Obama, this applies in particular to his unifying and optimistic message ("Yes we can") of the United States of America as well as to his image as a young, agile President from a new generation of politicians.
Table of Contents
1. Photography as a strategic tool in political communication
2. Barack Obama’s and Donald Trump’s political communication and core messages
3. How does the official picture language of the Obama and Trump serve as a strategic tool to emphasise their political messages?
4. Conclusion – Two different approaches, one purpose: creating a ‘visual narrative’ and reinforcing the main political message
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this study is to examine how official photography serves as a strategic tool in the political communication of Barack Obama and Donald Trump. The paper investigates how both presidents utilize visual imagery published on official online platforms to reinforce their specific political narratives, stances, and public reputations, while highlighting the inherent limitations of photography as a non-verbal medium.
- The evolution of visual imagery in modern political communication
- Comparative analysis of the political messaging styles of Obama and Trump
- Strategic use of official photography as a 'visual narrative' tool
- The role of diversity and persona representation in political imagery
- Interdependence of verbal and non-verbal communication in politics
Excerpt from the Book
Concerning Donald Trump, it is first of all striking how many official pictures the White House publishes of him signing respectively holding up executive orders. Thereby, the President, in action, is seated in the centre of the picture and mostly surrounded by numerous people watching him. This can be considered to be in line with both his ‘I alone can fix it’ narrative and ‘problem/solution marketing’.
Secondly, it is remarkable how frequently pictures relating to the military appear – at least way more often than it is the case with Obama. Showing off military equipment, discussions with leading generals and meetings with ordinary service members are a repetitive motive in all online channels of the White House since Donald Trump has come into power. This can be associated with his message to strengthen the Armed Forces.
A third salient feature is that the communication strategists of the White House under Trump do apparently not attach particular importance to the representation of diversity on the official photographs in terms of gender balance, ethnic minorities or age groups. Most of the people appearing on the official photographs other than Trump are male, white and relatively old. This however includes people from America’s working class, such as miners and farmers. This again seems to fit in the Trump narrative of ‘looking out for the American workers’, attaching special attention to the needs of the middle and working class.
Summary of Chapters
1. Photography as a strategic tool in political communication: This chapter introduces the theoretical framework of political communication, emphasizing the increasing importance of visual imagery and its ability to influence public opinion in a media-saturated landscape.
2. Barack Obama’s and Donald Trump’s political communication and core messages: This section contrasts the communication styles of both presidents, identifying Obama’s message as inclusive and optimistic while defining Trump’s approach as an anti-elitist, problem-solving narrative based on dissatisfaction.
3. How does the official picture language of the Obama and Trump serve as a strategic tool to emphasise their political messages?: This chapter analyzes how both administrations utilize official photography on social media to reinforce their respective political identities and core messages through visual motifs.
4. Conclusion – Two different approaches, one purpose: creating a ‘visual narrative’ and reinforcing the main political message: The final chapter summarizes that while both presidents use photography as a vital component of their branding, such visual tools rely on the interaction with verbal communication to be fully understood by the public.
Keywords
Political Communication, Strategic Communication, Visual Narrative, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Image Policy, Social Media, Presidency, Political Marketing, Visual Culture, Propaganda, Media Landscape, Public Opinion, Political Messaging, Representation
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper explores how official presidential photographs are used as strategic communication tools by Barack Obama and Donald Trump to convey and reinforce their political messages to the public.
What are the central themes discussed in the study?
Key themes include the impact of visual imagery on public perception, the use of 'visual narratives' in political branding, the contrast between optimistic and pessimistic political rhetoric, and the role of social media in modern political communication.
What is the primary research goal?
The study aims to determine how official photographs published by the White House serve to underline the specific political stances and reputations of the two presidents.
Which scientific method is applied?
The author uses a comparative analysis of visual content, specifically examining official photographs from the online platforms of the respective presidential administrations to identify recurring visual motifs.
What content is covered in the main body?
The main body contrasts Obama’s inclusive, optimistic imagery with Trump’s focus on executive action, military strength, and appeals to the working class, while discussing the theoretical necessity of combining visual and verbal communication.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The most relevant keywords include Political Communication, Strategic Communication, Visual Narrative, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Image Policy, and Political Marketing.
How does Donald Trump’s use of imagery differ from Obama’s?
Trump’s imagery frequently highlights executive action and military presence to support his "I alone can fix it" narrative, whereas Obama’s photography focused on inclusivity, diversity, and an active, youthful persona to support his "Yes we can" message.
What limitation of photography does the author identify?
The author concludes that photography is a non-verbal medium and therefore can only reinforce messages to a limited extent; it requires background knowledge and verbal context for the audience to fully grasp the intended political meaning.
Why is the "problem/solution marketing formula" significant?
It is a central component of Trump’s communication strategy, where he highlights flaws in the current state of the U.S. to trigger dissatisfaction, before positioning himself as the necessary "change agent" to resolve those problems.
- Citar trabajo
- Benedikt Weingärtner (Autor), 2017, Photography as a strategic tool in political communication. A comparative study of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/370776
