communication competence and new challenges for politicians: from public speaking to live tweeting

Since antiquity…

• Development of rhetoric

• Public speaking is seen as an essential skill for politicians

• Communication competence is seen as important for politicians

Public speaking is still important

• Evaluations and descriptions of public speaking skills were mentioned most often in the newspaper data.

• 37% of all mentions of communication skills.• In an interview of party leaders, public speaking

skills were mentioned briefly (18%).• “It is clear that if you have a good command of

rhetoric, it helps a lot.”

In Newspapers:

• Must have something to say.• Politicians are too often:

• Verbose, nonspecific, rambling not fluent• Lacking openness, colour and charisma.

• Positive characteristics: plausible, charismatic, clear, understandable.

“Voters are watching politics through persons. A charismatic, quick-witted leader is a great help for a party” (Aamulehti, 1 June 2008).

Era of Mass Media

• From public speaking to media skills.• Parties began to teach politicians how to

communicate with the press.• The newspapers were for a long time the

primary medium.• Gradually radio became important.• From the 1960’s, television has been the central

medium.

Media SkillsAlmonkari & Isotalus 2012

• In newspapers 41%• Understanding the role of media: 22% of all

mentions of communication skills• Relations with journalist: 6%

• In interviews 36%• The biggest class of communication skills was

media skills• Relationships with journalists: 14%• Understanding the media: 6%

The television debates

• They have been studied a great deal.• The most studied oral communication situation in

the political context.• More studied their effects on voters.• The US presidential elections have been

especially studied.

The starting point

Functional Theory of Campaign DiscourseThree types of discourse:•Attack•Defence•Acclaim

Cultural differences

• The Functional Theory does not fit Finland.• Isotalus & Aarnio (2006)

• In Finland, it is more a question of agreement and disagreement.

• Discourse is oriented to past, present and future.

Television performance

• Television has emphasized the communication competence of politicians.

• Nonverbal communication is central in television.• Image of a politician is important.• It has been predicted for 20 years that the role of

television would diminish in politics.• There is hardly any evidence for that.• It is still a central medium in politics.

Mediatization of Politics• Describes the changes (process) of political

communication.• Emphasizes the influence of the media in this

process.• Strömbäck (2011) considers mediatization of

politics as a multidimensional concept that includes distinct yet interrelated dimensions.

• One of the dimensions focuses on political actors and the degree to which they are governed by media logic or political logic.

Personalization

1. It refers to a stronger focus on candidates or politicians instead of parties, institutions or issues.

2. It claims that it is not only individuals per se, but their personal non-political characteristics that assume greater relevance.

• Describes the growing importance of the persons in politics

• Adam & Maier (2010):

Personalization (Van Alest et al. 2012)

Privatization – An example of personal life

Interpersonal communication

• This is an often forgotten dimension of communication competence.

• However, it is important for politicians:• When dealing with other politicians (negotiating)• Connecting with the voters.

Social media is a challenge for politicians

• In Finland: • First websites in the 1996 European

parliamentary election.• All candidates had websites during the 2000

presidential election.• Facebook appeared in the 2008 local election.• The 2015 Parliamentary election was called the

‘hashtag-election’.

Facebook & Twitter

• Importance is growing.• Appearance of new media: Instagram,

Snapchat….• Weak correlation observed with activity in

social media and success in elections.• Political power?• Needs new skills.• Importance of interactivity.

Results on live-tweeting

• Party leaders’ assistants or active members of parties tried to influence impressions of party leaders.

• Impressions based on live-tweets changed a lot between party leaders.

Timo Soini – spiritless

Alexander Stubb - favourite

Paavo Arhinmäki - bully

Ong’s theories in Orality and Literacy

• Primary orality• Print oriented phase• Secondary orality

• Are we living in the new phase?• Digital interaction?

Needed communication competence of politicians

Interpersonal communication skills

Thank you!

www.isotalus.fipekka.isotalus@uta.fi