title: Authenticity in the Eye of the Beholder: Visual Self-Presentation and Politics
Creators: name: Fricker, Katharina
Publisher: name: OSF Registries
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: Communication
subject: Social Influence and Political Communication
subject: Social Media
subject: Social and Behavioral Sciences

description: This research project focuses on the study of the perceived political authenticity of politicians in the context of visual self-presentation on the social media platform Instagram. Politicians use Instagram as a tool for direct communication with the public (e.g. Enli, 2016; Kruikemeier, 2014; McLaughlin &amp; Macafee, 2019; Stiers et al., 2021; Weeks et al., 2019), and visual elements such as images play a crucial role in this (Steffan, 2020). These visual representations can shape the image of politicians and influence how they are perceived (Grabe &amp; Bucy, 2009; Lilleker, 2019; Steffan, 2020). Social media offers politicians the opportunity to present themselves authentically (Manning et al., 2017; Marwick, 2015; Shane, 2018). Authenticity as a construct is becoming increasingly important in politics. At a time when public trust in political institutions and representatives is being challenged, people are looking for signs of honesty and authenticity in their political leaders (Clarke et al., 2018; Luebke, 2021; Luebke &amp; Engelmann, 2022, 2023; Valgarðsson et al., 2021). The perceived political authenticity of politicians on Instagram can play a crucial role in whether or not the public places trust in their political representatives (Enli, 2016). Visuals play a key role in this, as images often evoke stronger emotional responses and provide an immediate insight into politicians' lives and personalities (Grabe &amp; Bucy, 2009; Lilleker, 2019; Poulakidakos &amp; Giannouli, 2019). The central question of this project is: To what extent does the visual framing in politicians' self-representation on Instagram influence the perceived political authenticity by viewers? To address this question, Instagram posts by the German politician Annalena Baerbock were selected and analysed on the basis of defined visual frames. The visual frames on which this research focuses are those identified by Grabe and Bucy (2009). Grabe and Bucy's original research aimed to explore visual framing in television coverage of US presidential candidates during the 1992 to 2004 election campaigns. In the course of their work, they identified a total of three predominant frames. In this study, two of these frames are examined in more detail. These frames are also referred to as "character frames" because they use visual material to influence the public image of candidates in terms of their social identity (Grabe &amp; Bucy, 2009; Steffan, 2020). The two frames examined are the "Ideal Candidate Frame" and the "Populist Campaigner Frame". The Ideal Candidate Frame is analysed in terms of the dimensions of statesmanship and compassion, while the Populist Campaigner Frame includes the dimensions of mass appeal and ordinariness (Grabe &amp; Bucy, 2009). The expectation is that these different visual frames have different effects on the perceived political authenticity of politicians. The sample will be composed of people with different political orientations and media use habits. Control variables, such as political preferences, media use and personal characteristics, are taken into account in the research. The data will be collected via a questionnaire, which will be distributed via the SoSci Panel. The SoSci Panel is a convenience sample that provides study participants from different age groups and socio-economic backgrounds. Statistical analysis will be conducted after data collection using linear regression, t-tests and moderator analysis to test the hypotheses and identify possible influencing factors. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of how visual self-presentation on Instagram influences perceptions of political authenticity. The results will provide important insights into political communication and the image of politicians.