Sociology

Business

Mathematics

Politics

Operating system

Visual communication

Advertising

Mathematical analysis

Principal (computer security)

Political science

Closeness

Public relations

Computer science

Social media

Populism

Right wing

Political communication

Journal of Political Marketing

The visual social media platform Instagram is a popular tool for political image building. Drawing on image management theory as well as right-wing populist and visual communication, this study explores how eight European leading politicians of right-wing populist parties present themselves on Instagram. The aim is to provide a first insight into relevant characteristics and patterns of their Instagram communication. The approach is twofold: A comprehensive visual content analysis (N = 724) is followed by hierarchical clustering on principal components. Three types of messages were identified, the most important ones being the creation of a professional image and the demonstration of closeness to citizens. Surprisingly few of the categories considered as relevant for right-wing populist communication were detected. At the individual level, politicians differ in the messages they emphasize.

Managing the Image. The Visual Communication Strategy of European Right-Wing Populist Politicians on Instagram