THE VISIBILITY OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES OF THE ROMANIAN 2009 ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN THE WRITTEN PRESS
THE VISIBILITY OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES OF THE ROMANIAN 2009 ELECTION CAMPAIGN IN THE WRITTEN PRESS

Summary/Abstract: The present study is a qualitative and quantitative transversal analysis which seeks to look at the visibility of three candidates to the Romanian presidency in three important newspapers during the presidential race of 2009. The study was undertaken in an attempt to disclose the campaign strategies used by the media to promote, refute, increase and downgrade the candidates’ chances to win the elections. Based on a functional macro-analysis approach the article argues that the visibility of the Romanian top three candidates for presidency (Traian Băsescu, Mircea Geoană and Crin Antonescu) is different in the Romanian newspapers Gândul, Cotidianul and Romania Liberă, in which the issue has been pursued. A secondary aim of the study is to highlight the journalists’ views on the candidates and on the political developments. The study draws on research inquiries and conclusions inspired by studies in the media political discourse like those carried out by Harris S.(1991), Simon-Vandenbergen (1996, 1997) and Lauerbach (2004). It equally draws on the more recent Romanian writings on political discourse of Coman (2003) and Seceleanu (2008). The study first surveys the role of the written press in political processes such as the elections, then it presents the three newspapers succinctly and proceeds to an analysis of the visibility of the main three candidates in each newspaper as it could be captured from the issues published during the interval 2-22 November 2009.

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