Personalization in Croatian Presidential Election in 2000: How Personal Did the Candidates Go and What Did the Press Cover?
Personalization in Croatian Presidential Election in 2000: How Personal Did the Candidates Go and What Did the Press Cover?

Summary/Abstract: Using content analysis methodology this study of three Croatian daily newspapers investigated the ‘personalization’ in Croatian presidential elections in 2000. The research conceptualised personalization on two different levels – as a media phenomenon and as a candidate’s strategy. Using two different units of analysis – the article and the statement – the research first examined the attention newspapers in their election coverage devoted to candidates’ personal profiles as compared to other contents. In the second part, the study examined to what extent and in which form each of the two front-running candidates relied on some personal cues to communicate with the press and voters.The findings revealed that the press interest in candidates’ personalities in presidential elections in Croatia in 2000 was relatively high. However, individual traits that came to the forefront of the newspaper reports remained mostly within the realm of their political profiles. Findings from the second part concluded that there were significant differences in the way candidates communicated their messages to the press and the voters.

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