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Part II. Storytelling in the Information Age | 47
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FOR A WHILE, HAUEN T/YOU?
For example, Figure 1 recalls the collective experience of teachers when
students disappeared from a video call during the distance learning period
caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. Figure 2 evokes the nostalgic story of the
Eastern European recipients as the grandmother in a humble home invites
her weary grandchild to a bountiful feast.
Political communication has also adapted to the conventions of social
media communication. Public figures and politicians share micro-narratives,
personal photos or short videos on their social media platforms on a daily
basis. An example is the social media communication of Hungarian Prime
Minister Viktor Orban’s staff. In some of his posts, the Prime Minister
personalizes and promotes government measures. In other posts, he evokes
the character of an ordinary man in the community, who meets people and
reinforces the feeling in the recipient that he is one of them. The politician's
everyday activities appear in a series of social media posts. Around 90% of
the pictures and videos he uploads show his interactions with the average
Hungarian middle class, often while consuming food and drinks that are
considered to be Hungarian. Examples include the Prime Minister eating
‘langos, or images of him actively participating in typical Hungarian winter
or summer food preparation rituals. Photos of the Prime Minister stuffing
sausages, preparing pickled cucumbers or slaughtering pigs (Figure 3) circulate
like memes on social media and trigger extreme reactions from the public
in the comments sections.