Narrative component in the structure of politicians' image

Nurbagomedova Zukhra Rabazanovna Postgraduate student; Institute of Higher School of Journalism and Mass Communications; St. Petersburg State University 7-9 Universitetskaya nab., St. Petersburg, 199034 zukhra.journ@mail.ru

Modern political communication is characterized by the active use of narrative strategies in the media, allowing not only to convey information, but also to form emotionally colored images of politicians that evoke sympathy or rejection. In this context, narrative becomes a key element in the construction of a political image, setting the framework for interpreting actions, decisions, and personal qualities of power actors. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that the media are increasingly becoming not just a source of information about politics, but an active participant in shaping the perception of politicians. In conditions of high competition for audience attention, narratives — stories about politicians filled with emotions, images, and symbols — are particularly effective. They help simplify complex phenomena, evoke empathy or rejection, and set the right context. The analysis of narrative strategies makes it possible to understand how the image of a politician is formed in the media space and how public perception is formed through the language and structure of the story.

The purpose of the work is to analyze how narrative strategies are used in the media to form a political image, and to identify their structural and functional features. The object of the research is political communication in the media space. The subject of the research is the structure and functions of narrative as a tool for shaping political image in modern mass media.

The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that the political image is analyzed through the prism of narrative as a meaningful and structural form that shapes the perception of a politician in the media space. The focus is on narrative strategies and speech tactics (such as a strategy for raising, strategy for lowering, phantom threat, negative forecasting) used in modern media to build the image of a politician. The analysis is also based on the narratives of success, crisis, struggle for power, reforms and the formation of values (family, strong state) broadcast in the media. This approach allows us to systematize storytelling methods in political discourse and identify how an image is formed through narrative constructions.

The research methods include critical discourse analysis and elements of structural and semantic analysis to identify key narrative constructions. The empirical part is based on a qualitative content analysis of publications in foreign media, which trace stable narrative patterns that set a positive or negative perception of politicians.

Narrative is actively studied in various disciplines (I.V. Trotsuk, E.I. Sheigal, Z.Z. Chanysheva) due to the fact that human thinking has the form of a narrative and there is a tendency to present one's experience in a narrative form. Narrative can be considered as a way of organizing experience, in which events from the past or present are transformed into a logically and chronologically structured story. Due to its structure and expressiveness, narrative is actively used in various fields, especially in media discourse. Its ability to simplify complex processes and give them an emotional coloring makes it a convenient tool for describing and interpreting political events ^{[1, p. 143]}. In addition, "in the logic of the narrative approach, it is possible to find the constituent elements of an image by referring to traditions, events, representations, images, impressions, judgments, stereotypes, myths, associations and biographies" ^{[2, p. 56]} that are associated with a situation or a politician in the minds of the audience. G. I. Musikhin, talking about narrative as an element of political symbolization, argues that narrative is a mechanism for creating political reality, and narratives in politics do not just convey information, but form meaning. Meanings do not arise as facts, but as interpretations and assessments. Narratives involve people in politics, creating a narrative identity based on collective memory, symbols, and emotions ^[3].

Researchers identify three types of narratives in the media space that play a role in shaping the political image ^[4]. Personal narratives are autobiographical stories through which an individual makes sense of his life experience. They are important for shaping the image of a politician as a "man with a history", close and understandable to the audience. Public narratives — circulate in social groups, media, culture, and political discourse. They are the ones who form the image of a politician in the public consciousness, setting plot schemes in which he is presented as a hero, reformer, fighter or antagonist. Meta—narratives are large ideological constructions that shape the perception of entire epochs and political systems. Examples include the narratives of "fighting for justice," "rebirth of the nation," or "saving the Motherland." The inclusion of a politician in such a narrative gives his image symbolic weight and historical significance. There are also conceptual narratives — scientific or ideological constructions that organize the understanding of the world (for example, the theory of evolution, historical concepts). In politics, they are important as a framework for explaining actions — for example, "modernization", "transition to democracy". And "in political texts, most often, there is no more than one narrator, there is no complicated correspondence of the images of the author of the "speaker", and the political text is vividly focused on one point of view, on which the narrator relies. In most political texts, as a certain significant unity, we are allowed to regard the "informational causes" and the content of the events described" ^{[5, p. 62]}. This concept is close to the definition of narrative in political communication, which was proposed by E.I. Sheigal. She argues that a political narrative may include political texts of various genres (leaflets, slogans, a rally speech, a party program, an analytical article in a newspaper, a television interview) that are thematically concentrated around a specific political event" ^{[6, p. 324]}.

A narrative is a form of presentation that, unlike a slogan or leaflet, not only indicates the author's value position, but also unfolds it as a plot structure with internal logic and potential resolution of a political conflict. Due to its structure and mythologizing potential, the narrative allows to broadcast ideological attitudes in an accessible and emotionally significant form, which makes it an effective tool for influencing the political consciousness and behavior of citizens ^{[7, p. 75]}.

The image, like the narrative, is formed gradually. It can be said that "the image in politics is constructed in a mosaic and is the result of the following processes: consistent and long-term work of image makers together with the object of promotion; the political context and events external to the object, phenomena; as well as targeted actions of opponents and opponents" ^{[8, p. 269]}.

If we look at the construction of image creation, it reminds us of the structure of narrative (or storytelling), which has a dramatic approach to understanding the concept of "image". According to researcher I. Hoffman, "all the events of human life are, in fact, performances staged in order to make the right impression" ^{[9, p. 108]}. It can be concluded that an image is created in order to convey certain information about oneself to others, and a narrative is created to simplify this information. In the media, politicians can broadcast narratives of success, crisis, power struggles, reforms, and the formation of values such as family, a strong state, sports, and friendship. Different strategies for image formation can also be applied ^[10].

- A "boost" strategy. A positive image of a politician is created through a presentation: positive qualities are emphasized, sympathy or respect is evoked. For example, politicians can talk about personal tragedies (loss of parents, illness of a child), emphasize values (democracy, freedom), as well as using positive vocabulary. In the context of the narrative, this is a heroic narrative: a politician is a hero who has overcome difficulties and is ready to "save" society. The plot creates an emotional identification with the hero.

- A "short-term" strategy. The goal here is to discredit the opponent through accusations and insults, that is, the politician is presented as unworthy, weak, incompetent. An antagonistic narrative can form — a politician is not a hero, but a threat or an "antihero." This undermines the emotional support and trust of the audience.

- Phantom threat strategy. The politician is presented as a danger to society. The emphasis may be on the threat to democracy, revenge, or the destruction of the system. A plot of disaster or dystopia is being created: if this politician wins— society will be in trouble. It effectively causes fear, disgust and polarizes the audience.

- A strategy of invasive forecasting. The goal here is to create a negative expectation of the future through statements and negative predictions about the consequences of a politician's actions. For example, one politician warns that another statesman will destroy democracy and dismiss disloyal officials. This is a predictive narrative — a politician as a harbinger of collapse. Such a narrative mobilizes opposition and discredits possible actions in advance.

Thus, the narrative in media political communication is an integral part of the formation of a political image. The structural elements of the narrative, types of narrative, and speech strategies allow the media to purposefully influence the perception of a politician's personality and shape his public image.

Research methodology

To analyze the narrative component in the formation of a political image, a qualitative content analysis of publications in foreign media for the period from 2019 to 2025 was applied. The object of the analysis is media texts about political figures (Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron and Andrzej Duda) representing different ideological and national contexts.

Results.

The empirical analysis examined the media discourses that shape the images of politicians such as Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron and Andrzej Duda.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The article analyzes O. Scholz's speech in the Bundestag before the early elections in various media. A comparison of publications in the German edition of Bild and the French newspaper Le Monde reveals opposing narrative approaches to shaping his image. In the Bild publication "Die heftigste Redeschlacht des Jahres!" Scholz is portrayed as an aggressive leader, shifting responsibility for the political crisis onto his former coalition partners. The narrative is based on a downgrade strategy: attention is focused on the chancellor's confrontational tone and attempts to justify his own failures. At the same time, Le Monde, in its publication "Allemagne: Olaf Scholz et son rival, Friedrich Merz, croisent le fer au Bundestag", forms a more balanced image of the politician, emphasizing his desire for compromises on key issues and maintaining stability. A neutral strategy is used here, focusing on Scholz's rationality and constructive position. Thus, the same event gets a different interpretation depending on the media platform, which confirms the key role of narrative in shaping the political image.

French President Emmanuel Macron has also become the target of various narrative interpretations in the media. In the French edition of Le Figaro, the publication "Provocation" et "irresponsabilité: Marine Le Pen critique la réception du président syrien à Paris par Emmanuel Macron", devoted to criticism from Marine Le Pen, focuses on such characteristics as "provocation", "irresponsibility" and "humiliation of France". Here, Macron appears as a politician whose actions undermine the country's diplomatic status — the image is formed in the logic of a downward strategy. In contrast, the Polish edition of Gazeta Wyborcza in the publication "Macron przedstawia swój plan dla Europy. "Nadszedł czas renesansu" creates a positive image of Macron as a reformer and leader on a European scale. His initiatives, such as the creation of European protection, the fight against tax abuses and environmental reforms, are described in a mobilizing vocabulary. The narrative is based on a strategy of enhancement: Macron is presented as a leader capable of returning control to the people and leading Europe to a "Renaissance." Thus, depending on the ideological position of the media and the national context, the same politician can be presented as a source of threat or as a carrier of progressive transformation.

Polish President Andrzej Duda is also becoming the object of contrasting narrative interpretations in the European press. In the Polish edition of Notes from Poland, the publication "Poland 'ready to host nuclear weapons', declares president — prompting response from Moscow" creates the image of a determined leader seeking to strengthen the country's defense capability and the eastern flank of NATO. The narrative is based on an enhancement strategy: Duda is presented as an active member of the alliance, ready for strategic steps. The continuation of this image is the publication on the website Politico.eu under the headline "We want French nukes, Polish president says," in which Duda expresses his willingness to accept not only American, but also French nuclear weapons on Polish territory. Here he appears as a flexible and pragmatic politician who seeks to strengthen the country's defense position by diversifying strategic guarantees. The narrative is once again based on a strategy of enhancement, emphasizing Duda's initiative in strengthening security and his willingness to act in the face of geopolitical uncertainty. Thus, the president's image is being formed as a proactive actor capable of adapting to challenges and expanding international partnership in the interests of national stability.

The results of the analysis show that narrative strategies in the media actively shape the perception of politicians, depending on the ideological position of the publication. The narratives used (hero, reformer, technocrat, destroyer, etc.) set stable patterns of perception. Narrative elements — biographical accents, symbols, and assessments — work as semantic markers that influence the emotional and rational perception of the audience. At the same time, the same politician can be presented in different media as an inspiring leader or a threat to society.

The analysis suggests that narrative plays a key role in shaping the political image in media discourse. Its structural and emotional expressiveness ensures not only the transmission of information, but also the construction of meanings that influence the perception of politicians in the public consciousness. Narrative strategies such as raising, lowering, phantom threat, and forecasting allow media platforms to create stable images of political figures, setting emotional and symbolic frameworks for interpreting their actions. Empirical data obtained during the analysis of publications about politicians from different countries confirm that the perception of the same actor can vary dramatically depending on the ideological vector of the media. This highlights the importance of narrative as a tool of political representation and highlights the need for its further study in the context of the digital media ecosystem. The results of the study are of interest to specialists in the field of political communication, media linguistics, PR and journalism, and can also be used in the practice of media strategies and analysis of political content.