Politician or influencer? Söder and long criticized on the net!

Markus Söder, Christian Lindner and Ricarda Lang stage themselves on social media. Critics are demanding a real political discourse.
Markus Söder, Christian Lindner and Ricarda Lang stage themselves on social media. Critics are demanding a real political discourse. (Symbolbild/NAG)

Politician or influencer? Söder and long criticized on the net!

In today's political landscape, social media are increasingly being used as a platform for self -staging and personal insights. Markus Söder, the Bavarian Prime Minister, recently posted a picture of a pork knuckle with the hashtag #Söderisst. His colleagues Christian Lindner and Ricarda Lang also try to captivate their followers through private insights into their everyday life. But while this type of communication is supposed to signal closeness to the electorate, it is considered problematic by many because it often drifts into the area of ​​marketing. The article on ruHR24 criticized This tendency and demands more serious political discourse.

historian Jürgen Kocka described Willy Brandt as the "first media chancellor" because he used strong pictures such as the Warsaw Kniefall to convey political messages. However, the comparable use of social media is perceived as rather banal today, especially in the context of complex issues such as civil allowance, climate crisis and fear of war. Instead of taking up these important concerns, today's political communication tends to concentrate on personal content, which is considered absurd.

changing communication structures

social media enable political and state institutions to reach a mass audience directly, creating a hybrid media system in which citizens, politicians and journalists act. This new dynamic changes the flow of communication, so that citizens can contact political institutions "Bottom up", such as the Federal Center for Political Education explained. But despite these new possibilities, classic mass media reporting still plays an important role because it appeals to a wider audience.

Studies show that a growing part of the population mostly consumes news online, whereby platforms such as YouTube and Facebook dominate. Against this background, parties such as CDU/CSU and SPD have lost votes and are therefore looking for contact with younger groups of voters via digital channels. Social media teams in party centers have now grown as well as the practice of influencer marketing within political communication.

digitization and professionalization of political communication

The professionalization of political communication is another central topic that is treated by Federal Center for Political Education becomes. Political actors, parties and NGOs use social media not only for information on information, but also for mobilizing supporters. Digital microtargeting enables you to address tailor -made messages to specific user groups. Negative messages create more interactions and increase visibility.

The increasing importance of social media can also have negative consequences, such as Hatespeech and Polarization, which also put a strain on political communication. The social debate about data protection and the challenges caused by new technologies are additional hurdles that have to deal with political actors.

Overall, modern political communication of actors requires constant learning and adaptation to new media offers and communication channels. The aim of the proximity could lead to striking self -staging, while the actual political discourse moves into the background. The demand for more substance and less marketing in politics is getting louder and it remains to be seen whether politics can react to it.

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OrtBundesrepublik Deutschland, Deutschland
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