Seite 48 [48]
OCR
Part II. Storytelling in the Information Age | 47 YOU'VE BEEN SCROLLING 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.
